Timeline: shale gas in the UK
Contents
2011
2012
2013
2014
October
- Task Force on Shale Gas set up, funded by Cuadrilla, Centrica and Total among others. Headed by Lord Chris Smith, former head of the Environment Agency. Secretariat run by giant PR and lobbying firm Edelman UK.
2015
January
- 21: Lancashire County Council planners recommend refusal of Cuadrilla's fracking application.[1]
- 26: The Environmental Audit Committee says fracking is inconsistent with the UK’s efforts on climate change.[2]
- 26: MPs vote against amendments to the Infrastructure Bill proposing tougher regulations and a moratorium on fracking.[3]
- 28: Scottish government announces moratorium on fracking planning permissions. [5]
February
- 9: House of Lords revises amendment to the Infrastructure Bill to remove fracking regulations. [7]. The revised amendment then passed in parliament on 12 February. [8]
- 25: Lancashire County Council’s development control committee refuse permission to Cuadrilla for shale gas testing at Singleton in the Fylde.[9]
March
- 5: INEOS acquire IGas North-West shale gas assets to become third UK’s third biggest shale gas licence holder. [10]
- 12: Celtique Energie will not appeal against refusal of planning permission in West Sussex. [11]
- 17: Neath Port Talbot council permit the drilling of a temporary borehole at Afan Valley for shale gas exploration, the first application of its type to be approved in Wales. [12]
- 18: Dart Energy challenge plans for a public inquiry into its fracking application at Dudleston Heath, near Ellesmere. [13]
- 26: The government call on local councils to not “gold-plate” human rights law when evicting protest camps. [14]
- 28: The government rejects the need for a moratorium on fracking to not exceed the UK’s carbon budget. [15]
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
2016
January
- 8: Senior INEOS executive, Tom Pickering says his company is focusing efforts in shale gas exploration away from Scotland, towards Cheshire and other areas of England. [16]
- 12: Bailiffs evict an anti-fracking protest camp at the IGas Duttons Lane site near Chester. More than 175 officers from four police forces were involved, and nine arrests.[17]
- 18: MP for Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake, resigns as vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, following pressure from his constituents. He is replaced on February 5 by David Mowat, Conservative MP for Warrington South.[18]
- 19: Nottinghamshire County Council approves IGas’s application for up to 12 groundwater monitoring boreholes at a proposed shale gas site to the north-east of Misson in Bassetlaw, despite 314 public objections against it. [19]
- 31: A leaked government plan from July 2015, signed by three cabinet ministers, reveals proposals to take decisions for fracking wells away from local councils were tabled shortly after Lancashire County Council refused permission to Cuadrilla to frack wells in the Fylde.[20]
February
- 5: IGas abandons plans to drill for coalbed methane at Upton near Chester, where a protest camp was previously evicted at a cost of £200,000 to Cheshire Police.[21] On 8 February the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire demands IGas pay these costs back.[22] In March, IGas says that it will not pay. [23]
- 9: High-profile inquiry begins on the planning appeals by Cuadrilla against Lancashire County Council’s refusal of its applications to drill up to eight fracking wells, and seismic monitoring plans, across sites at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood.[24]
- 23: The Planning Inspectorate grants permission to Cuadrilla for site restoration and monitoring at the Grange Hill exploration site near Singleton in Lancashire, despite Lancashire County Council refusing permission in May 2015.[25]
March
- 15: Ryedale District Council votes against Third Energy fracking near the village of Kirby Misperton, and recommends North Yorkshire County Council opposes fracking at the existing KM8 well.[26]
- 16: Closing day of the public inquiry into Cuadrilla's appeal against Lancashire County Council to drill up to eight fracking wells and seismic monitoring plans, across sites at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood. [27]
- 23: Coastal Oil and Gas appeals its refused application for an exploratory test well at Hendre Farm, Llanharan.[28]
- 26: Welsh natural resources minister Carl Sargeant extends Wales' moratorium on unconventional gas and oil developments to underground coal gasification. [29]
- 30: Surrey Council approves extending IGas oil and gas production sites near Bletchingley Central. [30]
April
- 6: Regulations on fracking well depths come into force. [31]
- 11: Third Energy is granted environmental permit for the KM8 shale gas well at Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire. [32]
- 27: The Energy and Climate Change Select Committee warns the UK will miss its 2030 carbon reduction targets without regulating gas-fired power stations.[33]
- 28: Public support for fracking in the UK falls to an all-time low according to a government poll. Most notably, just 19 per cent of people backed fracking while support for renewables surged to 81 per cent in the Department of Energy and Climate Change's long running public attitude tracker poll.[34]
May
- 18: Francis Egan, the head of Cuadrilla, urges government to fight councils on planning application delays.[36]
- 23: In a landmark decision, North Yorkshire County Council approve Third Energy's application to explore for shale at Kirby Misperton in Ryedale, despite overwhelming local opposition.[37]
- 27: UK Oil & Gas Investments will invest £4 million in exploratory fracking in the Weald Basin, Southern England. [38]
June
- 1: The Scottish Parliament votes for a ban on fracking.[39]
- 6: Northern Ireland legislates for mandatory planning applications for unconventional oil and gas exploration sites.[40]
- 13: UK Oil and Gas Investments pays Celtique Energie and Magellan £3.5 million for an exploration licence in West Sussex .[41]
July
- 7: The Committee on Climate Change calls for stronger regulations on shale gas development.[42]
- 8: IGas's application for an exploration well at Tinker Lane in Bassetlaw, north Nottinghamshire, is rejected by local planning committee. [43]
- 13: Surrey County Council approves IGas plans to convert a shale gas exploration site near Guildford to gas production.[44]
- 14: In a widely condemned move, the new Conservative government headed by Theresa May abolishes the Department of Energy and Climate Change. [45]
August
- 2: Rathlin Energy receive environmental permit to frack at West Newton, East Yorkshire.[46]
- 7: The Prime Minister proposes compensating people affected by fracking through direct payments.[47]
Notes
- ↑ Cuadrilla Lancashire fracking application 'should be refused', BBC News, 21 January 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Environmental Audit Committee calls for halt to fracking, Parliament.uk, 26 January 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Fracking moratorium rejected by MPs, BBC News, 26 January 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Damian Carrington, Lancashire council defers Cuadrilla fracking decision, The Guardian, 28 January 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Libby Brooks, Scotland announces moratorium on fracking for shale gas, The Guardian, 28 January 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Cuadrilla News Environment Agency Grants Cuadrilla’s Environmental Permits For Roseacre Wood, Cuadrilla Resources, 6 February 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ The Infrastructure Bill returned to the House of Lords on Monday 9 February for consideration of Commons' changes, Parliament.uk, 10 February 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Damian Carrington, Fracking will be allowed under national parks, UK decides, The Guardian, 12 February 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ Cuadrilla: Fracking firm seismic monitor plan refused, BBC News, 25 February 2015, accessed 15 September 2016
- ↑ [http://www.ineos.com/news/ineos-group/ineos-to-acquire-significant-share-of-key-igas-north-west-shale-gas-assets INEOS to acquire significant share of key IGas North-West shale gas assets}, INEOS website, 10 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ Celtique Energie drops two West Sussex drilling bids, BBC News, 12 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ Drilling of borehole at Afan Valley beauty spot approved, BBC News, 17 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ Gas drilling bosses oppose Shropshire public inquiry, Shropshire Star, 18 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418040/150326_Joint_Letter_Brandon_Lewis_MP_and_Rt_Hon_Mike_Penning_MP_-_Final.pdf Department for Communities and Local Government Uploads), GOV.uk, 26 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ Government Response To The Environmental Audit Committee’s Inquiry Into Environmental Risks Of Fracking, Parliament.uk, 26 March 2015, accessed 16 September 2016
- ↑ Ruth Hayhurst, INEOS interview: Company spotlight turns to English shale gas areas, Drill or Drop, 8 January 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Damien Gayle, Anti-fracking protesters evicted from Cheshire camp, The Guardian, 12 January 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Kevin Hollinrake, All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Unconventional Oil and Gas, Kevin Hollinrake's website, 18 January 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Misson borehole drilling plan given the green light, Retford Times, 19 January 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Christopher Hope, Ministers plot to foil anti-frackers, The Telegraph, 30 January 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ 'No commercial drilling' at Upton anti-fracking protest site, IGas says, BBC News, 5 February 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ David Holmes, 'Outraged' Cheshire police boss aims to recover £200K costs from energy firm, The Chester Chronicle, 8 February 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Energy firm IGas will not pay for Upton anti-fracking camp police operation, The Chester Standard, 24 March 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Frances Perraudin, Lancashire council's fracking refusal was 'democracy in action', The Guardian, 9 February 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Cuadrilla wins Lancashire monitoring site appeal, BBC News, 23 February 2016, accessed 13 September 2016
- ↑ Ryedale District Council votes to oppose fracking at site in Kirby Misperton, ITV News, 15 March 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ [1], The Blackpool Gazette, 17 March 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Appeals Casework Portal Reference: APP/L6940/A/16/3145869 GOV.uk, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Minister extends moratorium to underground coal gasification, GOV.wales, 25 March 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Ruth Hayhurst, IGas gets go-ahead for 15 years of gas and oil production at Bletchingley, Surrey, Drill or Drop, 30 March 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Guidance on fracking: developing shale oil and gas in the UK, GOV.uk, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Third Energy is granted fracking permits for a site in North Yorkshire, GOV.uk, 11 April 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Government should accept recommendation on fifth carbon budget, Parliament.uk, 27 April 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Adam Vaughan, UK support for fracking hits new low, The Guardian, 28 April 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Greg Russell, Ineos claims media's 'scare stories' over fracking are distorting public's perceptions of the issue, The National, 5 May 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Damian Carrington, Fracking investors losing patience with planning delays, says industry boss, The Guardian, 19 May 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Landmark North Yorkshire fracking operation approved, BBC News, 23 May 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ UK Oil & Gas Investments PLC ("UKOG" or the "Company") Placing for Further Funding for Weald Basin Activities, accessed on 14 September 2016
- ↑ MSPs vote in favour of a fracking ban as SNP abstain, BBC News, 1 June 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Woodburn oil well: Infrastructure minister 'to change planning process', BBC News, 6 June 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ UK Oil & Gas Investments PLC ("UKOG" or the "Company") Acquisition of 100% interest in 300 sq km Licence in Weald Kimmeridge Limestone Oil Province , London Stock Exchange, 13 June 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Exploitation of onshore petroleum requires three key tests to be met, CCC says, Committee on Climate Change, 7 July 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Bassetlaw planners make seismic decision, Frack Free Tinker Lane, July 8 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Surrey County Council Agenda and minutes, GOV.uk, 13 July 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Ian Johnston, Climate change department closed by Theresa May in 'plain stupid' and 'deeply worrying' move, The Independent, 14 July 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ HU11 4LP, Rathlin Energy UK Limited: environmental permit issued, GOV.uk, 2 August 2016, accessed 14 September 2016
- ↑ Daniel Boffey, Local people to get cash payments from fracking, The Guardian, 7 August 2016, 14 September 2016
