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Cuadrilla reports positive news from shale rock sampling at Lancashire exploration site

Cuadrilla recently completed drilling a vertical pilot well to a depth of over 2.7 km through both the Upper and Lower Bowland shale rock intervals at its shale gas exploration site at Preston New Road, Lancashire, UK. The operator reports that: ‘Early analysis of this latest data suggests excellent rock quality for hydraulic fracturing and a high natural gas content in several zones within the shale. This is in line with the British Geological Survey, in association with the Oil & Gas Authority, independent report in 2013, The Carboniferous Bowland Shale Gas Study (https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/media/2782/bgs_decc_bowlandshalegasreport_main_report.pdf) which estimated a mid-level estimate of the gas-in-place in the Bowland shales across the north of England to be 1,329tn cf.’

Noting that the rock composition ‘is very suitable to hydraulically fracture’, Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla, commented: ‘This give us great confidence as we start drilling what will be the first horizontal well drilled into UK shale rock.’

Cuadrilla has planning permission to drill up to four exploratory horizontal wells in the shale rock underlying its site at Preston New Road. Once both horizontal wells have been completed, hydraulic fracturing of both is likely to be in 2Q2018, according to the operator. Cuadrilla plans to test the flow rate of natural gas from the horizontal wells for approximately six months after this.

News Item details


Journal title: Petroleum Review

Countries: UK -

Subjects: Economics, business and commerce, Exploration and production, Unconventional gas

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