Cuadrilla Resources

The company Cuadrilla Resources is one of the largest shale gas exploration companies in the UK and perhaps one of the most controversial. This is because Cuadrilla Resources has been the company upon which many anti-fracking campaigners have protested, especially during the Balcombe drilling protest.

It has two key players, one is Lord Browne who is the chairman and the former head of BP whilst the other is the current CEO, Francis Egan. A large amount of the company is currently owned by two other companies, Riverside Holdings and AJ Lucas, whilst most of the rest of the company is owned by the management.

Where is Cuadrilla Resources fracking in the UK?

Cuadrilla has been given permission to explore shale gas in over ten sites in the UK. Of this over 3 of the wells have currently been used and these are all based in Lancashire and one which had previously been drilled and is currently being used in Elswick.

Cuadrilla Resources is the company that was responsible for the Lancashire fracking earthquakes that occurred in 2011. This was an event that led to the government placing hydraulic fracturing into a hiatus whilst the safety of fracking was reviewed in the UK.

Currently these are the hotspots where Cuadrilla will be drilling:

-Hale Hall Farm (Wharles)
-Kirkham
-Becconsall (Banks)
-Westby
-Grange Hill (Singleton)
Further sites of exploration for Cuadrilla resources include:
-Lingfield (Surrey)
-Cowden (Kent)
-Balcombe (Sussex) – this was the site of the Balcombe Drilling Protest
-Also, areas in Poland

Criticism of Cuadrilla Resources

Shale gas fracking is controversial just in its nature. But aside from this there have been 3 major reasons why Cuadrilla in particular has been a focal point of criticism:

1) It was the company that was in charge at the site in Balcombe where anti-fracking groups staged a protest and managed to temporarily halt fracking in the UK.
2) Cuadrilla Resources has been responsible for two minor earthquakes that occurred in Lancashire during 2011 and this was caused by fracking.
3) When Cuadrilla presented the case for shale gas to parliament in 2011 many people claim that it exaggerated the benefits that it could bring – although it remains to be seen whether these claims were true or false.
4) Furthermore Cuadrilla Resources produced a brochure in which the Advertising Standards Authority discovered 6 misleading claims.