UKOOG says shale announcement will help secure domestic gas supply
3 Apr 2018
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UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG) chief executive Ken Cronin has hailed completion of the country’s first horizontal shale well as a landmark in securing domestic supplies of natural gas.
“When we produce our own homegrown gas onshore we will be able to reduce our dependence on costly imports, support our manufacturing industries, create a new source of tax revenue while creating local jobs and investing in local communities,” he stated on the organisation’s Twitter site.
Cuadrilla announced this week that it has finished drilling at the exploration site at Preston New Road , Lancashire.
We will be able to reduce dependence on costly imports, support our manufacturing industries, create a new source of tax revenue while creating local jobs and investing in communities
Ken Cronin, chief executive, UKOOG
Extending to a depth of 2,700 metres through the Lower Bowland shale reservoir, the well runs 800 metres laterally. Planning consent has been granted to drill a further three horizontal wells on the site, with work on the second due to begin.
Announcing the news, Cuadrilla CEO Francis Egan commented: “Our completion of the UK’s first ever horizontal shale gas well is a major milestone towards getting Lancashire gas flowing into Lancashire homes as we lead the way on UK exploration.
“From the data we have amassed so far we are optimistic that, after fracturing the shale rock, natural gas will flow into this horizontal well in commercially viable quantities demonstrating that the UK’s huge shale gas resources can be safely produced and contribute to improving the UK’s energy security.”
The company plans to apply soon to the business secretary for permission to begin hydraulic fracturing the first well and says it would be in a position, if allowed, to start fracking the first two wells in the third quarter of 2018.
Cuadrilla said that earlier analysis demonstrated that both the Upper and Lower Bowland shale rock formation had low overall clay content and would be suited to hydraulic fracturing.
Following hydraulic fracturing of the first two horizontal wells, Cuadrilla said it plans to run an initial flow test of both wells for approximately six months before connecting to the local gas grid network in 2019.
