Locations

Large areas of the UK are threatened with extreme energy extraction. Particular hot spots include Lancashire, Scotland, South Wales, Somerset and the South East but there are very few places that are not at risk. See our map for details of threats near you.

• Shale gas planning application (under consideration)
• Shale gas planning application (approved)
• Coal Bed Methane planning application (under consideration)
• Coal Bed Methane planning application (approved)

The outlined area are DECC licences colour coded by the company: Cuadrilla Resources, Island Gas (IGas), Dart Energy, Reach CSG, Coastal Oil and Gas, UK Methane, Alkane Energy and other companies. The black outlines off the coast are some of the 18 Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) licences granted and the brown outlines are UCG licences that are in the process of being sold.

Note this map is automatically generated from information on planning websites and you should check the details manually.

Active Sites

Lancashire: Cuadrilla Resources have obtained planning permission for 5 sites in the Blackpool area. They have completed drilling and fracked the Preese Hall well (causing several earthquakes) and drilled the Grange Road well. Their drilling rig is presently working at the Marsh Road site. With only one rig at present they will need to drill the wells sequentially.

• Preese Hall, Weeton – Well drilled and fracked
• Grange Road, Singleton – Well drilled, not yet fracked
• Marsh Road, Banks – Drilling started (22/08/11)
• Anna’s Road, Westby – Construction of pad completed
• Inskip Road, Wharles – No work started

Cheshire and Staffordshire: Island Gas (IGas) has planning permission for a number of coal bed methane wells. Greenpark energy has planning permission for a number of coal bed methane wells.

Kent: Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd have put in an application on to drill core samples through coal and shale strata at a site near Woodnesborough.

Scotland: Dart Energy has permission to drill 12 coal bed methane wells north of Falkirk near Airth and one on the site of Longannet Power Station in Fife. Greenpark Energy has permission to drill 17 coal bed methane wells near Canonbie in Dumbfries and Galloway.

South Wales: Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd has obtained planning permission to drill core samples for shale at a site near Maesteg, Bridgend in South Wales. UK Methane has planning permission to drill one shale gas well near Maesteg and one well near Glynneath. UK Methane also has permission for one coal bed methane well near Cwmafan and 6 wells north of Swansea.

Sussex: Cuadrilla Resources has obtained planning permission to drill for shale gas at a site near Balcombe in West Sussex.

Live Planning Applications

Lancashire County Council 05/11/0431 – In Lancashire Cuadrilla Resources has applied to extend the testing period at the Preese Hall well (the source of the earthquakes) for 12 months. It is unclear when the planning application will be decided.

Vale of Glamorgan Council 2011/00812/FUL – In South Wales, Coastal Oil & Gas Ltd has applied for permission to drill core samples of Limestone shales at the Llandow Industrial Estate. The application has been turned down but the company is appealing.

Bath & North East Somerset Council 12/04304/FUL – UK Methane have applied for permission to test and drill into coal seams in Keynsham, near Bristol.