A company supplying fuel to Cuadrilla’s shale gas site in Lancashire has announced it is pulling out of the contract.
Crown Oil, based in Bury, made its first delivery today to a contractor at the site at Little Plumpton near Blackpool.
But this afternoon, the company posted a statement on its Facebook page saying it would no longer supply the site.
It said it made no comment on “the legitimacy of fracking” or its impact. But it added:
“We care about people and have made the only decision we consider is appropriate”.
In February, Moore’s Readymix Concrete and Armstrong Aggregates announced they would no longer supply the site.
Mark Seddon, a Crown Oil director, confirmed to DrillOrDrop that the Facebook statement was genuine and was made in response to emails and messages to the company’s website. He would not say which contractor his company had been supplying.
The Crown Oil statement said:
“As a business we have considered the representations made and have concluded that in the interests of the community involved we will cease supply to the site in question with immediate effect.”
The statement also said:
“It has become apparent from various communications we have received today (6th June 2017) from communities affected by the process of fracking that they oppose Crown Oil supplying a drilling site with fuel.
“Firstly, it should be noted that our supply arrangement is with a contractor and not the fracking company directly and as such until our vehicle arrived on site we were unaware of the exact purpose the fuel would be put to; secondly we have made only a single supply to site.
“As a family owned and run business, we attempt to help local communities either directly via charitable donations or by way of local sponsorship arrangements and we are fully aware of our corporate responsibilities and how our actions can sometimes affect others.”
Opponents of activities at Preston New Road welcomed the statement and thanked the company for its decision.
One comment said:
“Thanks. It seems to be a recurring pattern…. contactor s being unaware of their delivery destination…very poor do from Cuadrilla… not very transparent…but hey would we expect anything else?”
Another said:
“Oh my what a indepth and concisely written statement. Well done to Crown oil Ltd. Much respect to them as these decisions are difficult to reach in times of austerity.”
A spokesperson for Cuadrilla confirmed that that Crown Oil was supplying a contractor and made one delivery to the Preston New Road site.
The spokesperson added:
“Our operations are not impacted by their decision.”
Categories: Industry
DRILL OR DROP? 
A company with morals and commitment to the community it works within. I am sure the pro fracking supporters will have lots of negative comments to make and no doubt will claim this company owner is a hypocrite as they supply oil. However until we are able to transition to a carbon zero economy and with an over supply of hydrocarbons in the world, this is not hypocritical it is exactly the right thing to do. This reminds me of the HGV driver in Ryedale that refused to deliver pipes once he realised that Third Energy is a fracking company. Not everyone can be bought by the fracking industry 30 pieces of silver.
[Edited by moderator] They didn’t cancel the oil due to their goodwill they did it out of intimidation. Negative FB reviews, threatening messages, the list goes on.
[Edited by moderator]
[Edited by moderator] we all know that if you support fracking you are looking to gain financially….
And I am not at all in favor of this zero carbon crap
[Edited by moderator]
I am all for renewables believe it or not but understand the huge limitations faced by that industry at present.
I’m 100% against businesses being intimated by bullying anti frackers that aren’t anywhere near as smart as they proclaim.
So you’ve seen the alleged messages have you ?
Sure have.
[Edited by moderator] attacking a small family business!! That’s really made me see red.
A really bad own goal scored this time [edited by moderator].
[Comment removed by moderator]
It’s hypocritical of Crown , a company whose business is selling products derived from oil and gas to refuse to supply a company like Cuadrilla which is attempting to produce oil and gas responsibly .
The [edited by moderator] community need to look in the mirror and examine themselves .
What next , misguided parishioners making visiting oil and gas workers unwelcome if they attend a church service ?
Children of oil and gas workers being intimidated at school ?
Striebs we are just waiting on our ‘mandate’ to remove a lot of these obstacles. Remember May is a left wing Conservative that tries to appease everyone but is quickly learning some hard facts.
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Abuse towards individuals, rather than debating the facts, seems to be the common response to those supporting the shale oil and gas industry.
I think you’ve got your facts turned around, Malcolm.
Give it a rest with the one sided view. Our side tried debating but you don’t listen. You don’t want to allow exploration in any form which we could all learn from so we are forcing it through.
If you think I’m harsh in my tone you clearly don’t know many people outside your small network.
[Edited by moderator]
“Our side tried debating”? 🙂
Oh did it really? Is that why Francis Egan refuses to stand on a debate platform with anyone who opposes him? The only time I have seen a pro-fracker try to debate it was Ken Wilkinson and I won’t embarrass him by reminding everybody of the result.
As a democratic decision was made and not adhered to, but overridden by national government, the debates have already been had, and the answer was no, we don’t want this industry!!! GottaBKidding seems to enjoy antagonising, [Edited by moderator]
Protesters are doing a fantastic job, sacrificing time and effort to get rid of this abhorrent industry! Without unpleasantness, peacefully protesting! We are so grateful to you!!!
LM, you must have missed the general election in which the Tories carried the plurality of voters on a Manifesto that included the exploitation of shale gas? Democracy was very well-served when the Sec of State overruled the local council and pursued shale gas in the name of the nation’s democratic interests. It appears that you only endorse democratic ideals when they conveniently align with your interests.
Rex. Just 24.3% of people eligible to vote voted Tory in the 2015 election. Add to that the fact that a fair proportion of the population admit to knowing nothing about fracking it cannot be claimed that the Tories winning the 2015 election meant the public were voting in favour of fracking.
If I remember rightly didn’t the Tories win the most seats, and therefore won the election. If you don’t like the rules of the games, campaign to change them.
Nor did I claim that it did. What I did claim is that the exploitation of shale gas has been pursued within a democratic construct.
You must have missed it too Rex – the debate in parliament (on record) saw Cameron and Osborne assuring the British public that “We are not a dictatorship” and that local permissions will be sought for Fracking permissions. A far cry from the present reality.
Really, Philip? So you are arguing that the UK operates under a dictatorship at this point? How do you support that contention? Were democratically constructed institutions not followed when the Sec of State overruled the local council to allow fracking in Lancs? If a dictator made the decision, rather than using democratic institutions, can you tell us the name of the dictator and how they were able to make it appear as if the normal appeal process was used? Thanks!
No, the Tories themselves imply it by suggesting that to not get local consent on side would be a form of dictatorship. Yet again they have overturned their stated principles. Nice try Rex, but perverse logic.
Don’t think you fully understand how the hierarchy works in this country. But don’t you worry your cotton socks as once the Conservatives win on Thursday with their fully elected manifesto which includes support for fracking you’ll be taught a swift lesson.
It must be obvious by now to those who just want to comment on the subject of the blog, that the pro fracking farm agents have ratcheted up their personal comments into a tirade to prevent anything being discussed.
I would suggest you do not reply to such abuse and simply say what you want on the subject. Dont be drawn to reply in kind, its just a diversion strategy to put off any opposition and confine comments to personal attacks where it is safe.
Clearly many of these multiple pro poster ID’s are the same few people and they are making a play to “own” this site.
Dont let them, just say your truth and move on.
If this gets moderated, then there is no point in posting at all.
[Edited by moderator] If you think it’s ok to intimidate a family business into having to turn away revenue then shame on you.
Let’s set this straight. Your small minded politics of local democracy are second to the nations. The nation has a vote on Thursday. IF and it’s a HUGE IF Corbyn were to win that’s the end of fracking. We accept that as pro frackers as we are law abiding democrats. If on the other hand Conservatives win then fracking will commerce despite the fact you don’t like the sound of it.
You will 100% not stop fracking or conventional onshore O&G through guerilla style tactics.
Do you think industry hasn’t faced these types of people before? It simply doesn’t work in the UK. Our pockets are deeper than yours and our determination would scare you. You think a few homeless people chaining themselves to a gate concerns us? Welcome to capitalism my dear.
See what I mean?
Anyway, there is a lot of cover up regarding renewables and alternatives to fossil fuels, there are plenty of links posted here to just that. Ask yourself why this government just raised the tax on solar panels by 800% and you begin to see that the problem with renewables is that they are a danger to the present o&g monopoly and hence are being taxed out of existence. Also fossil fuels give a lot of lovely tax revenue to government, so it is a major cash cow to them, any opposition is therefore a threat to the state, as evidenced by misusing the police to crush opposition whilst simultaneously ignoring the abject failures of the industry to comply with what few regulatory controls that do exist.
This is also evidenced by the tory manifesto to take o&g out of public consultation altogether and to sweep aside EU protections of air water and land and to force through laws to allow them to put anything beneath your feet without recourse to the law to challenge it. This requires a massive police and or military presence in our streets and countryside, no go areas, parcelling off land to state ownership, go figure
Safety Catch
That 800% tax would be the business tax rise on installed units, and the 800% is a maximum, not a flat rate. Solar panels have not had an increase in tax other than that levies by the EU to prevent dumping by China.
So, the costs of installing solar on my roof has dropped year on year, but the handout from the state has shrunk.
The rights or wrongs of that tax increase are well documented.
Re tax take from hydrocarbons, the tax take from production and use are large and once upon a time good for the balance of payments. Your malthusian take on this is interesting. If correct, no matter who we vote in will use the police and army to crush opposition in order to maintain the hydrocarbon state. Best vote for the one supporting offshore wind I guess than the one looking to increase the size of the police state?
Safety, if you don’t mind me calling you by your first name, what’s a “farm agent, is it Cockney rhyming slang?
The shale industry is so slow in its operations and getting things done such that by the time any gas can be extracted renewables and other technologies have moved on and make it redundant.
TW, just like in Australia? Or Germany? You realize that scale deployments of renewables in large countries have been disastrous, right? Not only are they not achieving their aim of reducing co2 emissions, but they are enormously destabilizing to the grid and expensive for consumers. This is why you see Australia and Germany backtracking on renewable deployments, cutting subsidies, and building out fossil generators.
Did someone mention Germany? http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
TW [edited by moderator] Do you have any knowledge of the advances made in shale whilst renewables are still stuck in limbo?
We are bang on target in the UK with our fracking schedule.
Stuck in limbo?
http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
The only fracked shale gas well in the UK wasn’t ‘bang on target’ unless drilling through faults, distorting wells, and causing earthquakes so large that the DECC shuts operations down is the ‘target’
Time frame seems a tad slow as well.
Application to frack passed in 2010 but still no gas.
Floating offshore wind now developed and opening up huge potential.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/windfarm-floating-worlds-largest-kincardine-offshore-windfarm-scotland-coast-stonehaven-aberdeen-a7622681.html
http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/03/20/bnef-237mw-of-floating-offshore-wind-by-2020/
Quick check on today’s shale gas contribution to UK energy supply.
Zilch
I was actually referring to our current programme John.
Ah John Powney, good to see that the anti-frack brigade can continue the hysterics and fearmongering without shame despite all of the losses to your side! By “earthquakes so large” you appear to refer to Cuadrilla’s massive 2.4 magnitude quake, huh? You will have to understand that under non anti-frack norms (ie the Richter Scale) this would be considered a “minor” quake that is “Felt slightly by some people. No damage to buildings.” and that over one million of these occur naturally each year. The facts always interfere with the hysterics don’t they John? Too bad.
I fully agree TW. There are better ways, ways that do not entail American investors treating the British people and their landscape with contempt.
http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
Maybe they could work a bit quicker if demonstrators didn’t block their gates.
Let’s hope renewables do displace fossil fuels and we can “leave it in the ground” but currently there is precious little evidence that is going to happen any time soon, (Tesla batteries at £5K a throw, won’t even heat your home reliably). I’m not willing to chance our future on hyped, half-developed, green technologies.
Wrong again Rex, but good that you mention Germany: http://energystorageforum.com/blog/industry-news
http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
I agree TW. Wondering if the British people, and their landscape, will have to get used to being treated with such abuse and contempt (by o&g investors)?
http://energypost.eu/germany-sets-new-solar-storage-record/
Totally agree TW. Just ignore the attack poodles.