Government orders ‘abandonment’ of shale wells amidst energy price crisis

Amidst an energy price crisis for consumers, the Oil & Gas Authority has ordered the closure of Britain’s only two horizontal shale wells.

Francis Egan, Cuadrilla Chief Executive Officer, spoke to Tom Harwood on GB News: “Our Government is more intent to import shale gas than it is to develop our own resources”, he said.

“I was shocked, like I'm sure most of your viewers will be. I wrote back to the government, and I suggested that they consider alternatives”, he added.

Mr Egan told viewers his company had made extensive efforts to persuade the government to turn back the moratorium on horizontal shale wells, “but I’d have to say there has been very little interest in doing that.”

He said gas bills “are five to six times lower” in the United States than they were in the UK because of the use of shale gas.

In a warning to the government Cuadrilla’s Chief Executive Officer told GB News viewers he thought the UK’s energy policy “used to be about clean, affordable and secure… I would suggest the last two parts of that had been dropped.”