Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

First Shale Gas Flows In UK Since 2011

Energy company Cuadrilla said on Friday (3) that it has extracted shale gas in Britain for the first time since resuming fracking operations it halted in 2011 over environmental concerns.

The 11-year old British private firm has borne the brunt of protests for trying to test whether fracking  a process in which water and chemicals are used to blast apart rock formations can unlock natural gas deposits in Britain.


The method has transformed the global energy market but is developing slowly in Europe.

"The volumes of gas returning to surface at this stage are small," Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan said of the fracking site in northwestern England.

"However it provides early encouragement that the Bowland Shale can provide a significant source of natural gas to heat Lancashire and UK homes and offices and reduce our ever growing reliance on expensive foreign imports," he said in a statement.

The British Geological Survey estimates that the site Cuadrilla is exploring holds up to 2,300 trillion cubic feet (90 trillion cubic metres) of shale gas.

The amount could theoretically fill Britain's natural gas needs for more than a thousand years.

Cuadrilla is trying to find out how much of that potential reserve can be reached and produced at commercially viable levels.

Energy Security

Government data show natural gas being used to meet about 40 per cent of Britain's power and nearly 90 per cent of its heating needs.

But UK gas production rates have been falling and it became a net importer of the fuel in 2004.

Firms such as Cuadrilla hope to step in and begin meeting some of the demand now primarily supplied by energy-rich Norway.

Cuadrilla produced small amounts of shale gas at the same site seven years ago.

It was forced to halt operations because two small earthquakes were soon registered nearby.

Cuadrilla resumed work on October 15 after adopting more stringent safety and regulatory measures that environmentalists said were still insufficient.

The company has since been forced to briefly halt drilling on three occasions because minor tremors began being detected deep underground.

Cuadrilla stressed at the time that none could be felt or cause physical damage on the surface.

"This Preston New Road site is being monitored to an unprecedented level," Egan said in Friday's statement.

Greenpeace UK chief John Sauven called the fracking announcement a blow to campaigners' efforts to win government backing for alternative fuels such as wind power.

"It is truly bewildering how little fossil fuel companies need to offer in order to get whole-hearted, full-throated government support, and how much clean technologies can offer and still be blocked," Sauven said.

Cuadrilla said on its website that tests from 2011 suggest it can produce 6.5 billion cubic feet of shale gas over 30 years at the site.

Agence France-Presse

More For You

Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Economy shows no growth in July amid political turbulence

UK's ECONOMY showed no growth in July, according to official data released on Friday, adding to a difficult week for prime minister Keir Starmer’s government.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product was flat in July, following a 0.4 per cent rise in June.

Keep ReadingShow less
India’s IT sector

India’s $283 billion IT industry, which contributes more than 7 per cent to the country’s GDP, has for over three decades provided services to major clients including Apple, American Express, Cisco, Citigroup, FedEx and Home Depot.

iStock

India’s IT sector faces uncertainty as US proposes 25 per cent outsourcing tax

INDIA’s IT sector is facing uncertainty as US lawmakers consider a 25 per cent tax on companies using foreign outsourcing services.

Analysts and lawyers said the proposal has led to customers delaying or re-negotiating contracts, raising concerns in India, the world’s largest outsourcing hub.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Reeves

'Our economy isn't broken, but it does feel stuck,' Reeves said, speaking alongside the release of a finance ministry report on business property taxation, known as rates.

Getty Images

Reeves signals possible changes to business property taxes ahead of budget

CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves said on Thursday she is considering changes to business property taxes to support small firms looking to expand, as part of her plans to boost growth.

Reeves’ comments come ahead of her annual budget on November 26, at a time when concerns about possible tax rises and inflation are weighing on businesses and households.

Keep ReadingShow less