CUADRILLA HAS APPLIED FOR AN EXTENSION TO ITS PLANNING PERMISSION AT LOWER STUMBLE

Early in July Cuadrilla submitted a Section 73 Planning Application to West Sussex County Council to amend Condition 2 of its planning permission at Lower Stumble from 36 to 42 months. At present the permission ends on 28th September 2013 so, if the application is granted, the end of the permission will presumably change to 28th March 2014.

Cuadrilla says that this extension of time is necessary to allow it to carry out the planned drilling operations, well testing and site restoration programme which has been delayed by a recently notified requirement from the Environment Agency (EA) for a permit under the European Union Mining Waste Directive. It says that this is the first time that the EA has required such a permit for a UK onshore exploration well targeting a conventional reservoir.

In this application Cuadrilla has specifically stated that “the proposed drilling and testing programme will NOT include hydraulic fracturing”