Shale-gas explorer Cuadrilla Resources expects to resume work this year and says gas production may start in 2014. Claims that 200 trillion cubic feet of shale gas “represents the low end of the range”; thickness of the Bowland shale play is between 10 to 15 times thicker than commonly found in the U.S.
Cuadrilla Resources Ltd., a U.K. shale-gas explorer that suspended drilling in northwest England after causing minor earthquakes, expects to resume work this year and said gas production may start in 2014.
“By the first quarter of 2013, we will be far enough along in the exploration program to say this makes sense to go ahead and apply for a full field development permit,” Cuadrilla Chief Executive Officer Mark Miller said in an interview. “Production could be under way as early as 2014.”
Cuadrilla, which says it’s found more natural gas trapped in the local shale rock than Iraq has in its entire reserves, plans to pursue hydraulic fracturing in three wells by the end of this year. The program hinges on getting final approval from Britain’s energy department, which called for an assessment of fracking after two tremors in the area last year.
Were those tremors statistically unusual? If not, then what’s the problem?