Cuadrilla makes headway with UK fracking project

It's taken seven years, but hydraulic fracturing is set to be resumed in northern England

The UK government's decision, announced on 24 July, to allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in a shale gas well in England for the first time since 2011 represents a hard-fought victory for the drillers, but doesn't signal the start of a shale gas rush just yet. Privately-owned Cuadrilla now has final government consent to frack one of two wells It has already drilled at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire, north-west England, and plans to apply for consent to frack the second well soon. Among other would-be fracking firms to take heart from the decision is Third Energy, which is 95% owned by banking group Barclays. The company is waiting for government approval to start test fracking a