By Selina Williams
LONDON--A decision on whether Cuadrilla Resources can use
hydraulic fracturing to explore for shale gas in Lancashire in
north west England has been deferred, while new proposals to
address noise and traffic concerns are considered, the local
government said on Wednesday.
These are the first applications to frack for shale gas since
the government lifted a moratorium on the extraction technique at
the end of 2012, after tiny tremors were felt after Cuadrilla
fracked a well in 2011.
The long process to get approval for fracking permits
illustrates the challenges that companies face in Britain as they
seek to begin exploration work to assess how much of the country's
potential resources of natural gas from shale rock can be
commercially developed.
Privately owned shale minnow Cuadrilla had asked for the
deferral after a planning officer in Lancashire county council last
week recommended that the applications should be refused because it
would increase traffic and noise on rural roads around the
sites.
Large European energy companies, including France's Total SA and
GDF Suez SA have picked up stakes in existing licenses held by tiny
shale companies, boosting funding and expertise for exploration and
drilling campaigns.
But protests and local opposition have slowed development in the
U.K., where only a handful of exploration wells have been drilled
and just one well has been fracked.
Lancashire council didn't give a date when the committee
overseeing the matter would reconvene to take a decision on the
applications to frack wells at the Roseacre Wood and Preston New
Road sites.
Cuadrilla said it believed the additional information it had
submitted would address the noise and traffic concerns.
Write to Selina Williams at selina.williams@wsj.com
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