Aurora Energy Resources

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

Aurora Energy Resources is a private UK oil and gas company based in Aberdeen Scotland. First set up in 2008, it was initially known as Pacific Shelf Limited according to Companies House records.

In recent years Aurora has risen up the ranks of the key players pushing for shale gas exploration in the UK.

Following the 14th UK Onshore Licensing Round, it now has four Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs) covering 445 km2 (110,000 acres) in the heart of the Bowland Shale. The area is expected to be Europe's first commercially viable shale gas field and is host to operators such as Cuadrilla Resources.

Fracking plans in West Lancashire for 2018

Aurora's licences include PEDL 164 covering 100km2 of West Lancashire and Merseyside. In January 2018 the firm wrote a letter to local residents in Formby, West Lancashire to inform them of its plans to drill and frack two wells to the north of Great Altcar village, on the edge of Formby. Managing director Ian Roche said Aurora had begun the first stages of applying for planning permission for the site on Altcar Moss, submitting details to Lancashire County Council of its proposals to drill and frack a vertical and separate horizontal well there. The letter said that the site between Higher Moss and Middle Moss Lanes was approximately 850 metre from the nearest properties.

People

• Ian Roche - Managing director Aurora Petroleum/Aurora Energy. Panellist at May 2014 Shale Gas World conference discussion: 'What are the planning and environmental permitting considerations for operators?'. Ian is a council member of UKOOG, the trade body representing the onshore oil and gas industry.

Directors/ Officers

• NICOLA PATRICIA HAMILTON, secretary, 17 Dec 2009-
• TRISTAN PAUL CUTLER, director, 31 May 2010-
• LAURENCE WILLIAM KINCH, director, 17 Dec 2009-
• KENNETH GEORGE MCHATTIE, director, 17 Dec 2009-
• IAN PATRICK ROCHE, director, 17 Dec 2009-
• MARGARET ELAINE FERGUS STODDART, director, 17 Dec 2009-

Former executives and directors

• Malcolm Gladwell - former Aurora MD, was consulted as part of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering's June 2012 report 'Shale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing'

Related firms

• Aurora Petroleum - crossover of many of same directors

Constituencies that include licences awarded to Aurora in the OGA's 14th round

Aurora owns five shale licenses based in Lancashire.

• Blackburn - Kate Hollern MP
• Chorley - Lindsay Hoyle MP
• Knowsley - George Howarth MP
• Makerfield - Yvonne Fovargue MP
• Ribble Valley - Nigel Evans MP
• Rossendale and Darwen - Jake Berry MP, junior minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government June 2017
• Sefton Central - Bill Esterson MP
• Southport - John Pugh MP
• St Helens North - Connor McGinn MP
• West Lancashire - Rosie Cooper MP
• Wigan - Lisa Nandy MP

Companies House details

• Company no. SC335749
• Registered office address

The Office, Westfield Estate, Milltimber, Aberdeenshire, AB13 0EX

Company status: Active

Company type: Private limited Company

Incorporated on 3 January 2008

Previous names

Name Period

• AURORA EXPLORATION (UK) LIMITED 04 Aug 2010 - 20 Dec 2013
• EDP ONSHORE LIMITED 05 Feb 2008 - 04 Aug 2010
• PACIFIC SHELF 1485 LIMITED 03 Jan 2008 - 05 Feb 2008

Affiliations

• UKOOG