Cuadrilla’s fracking site at Preston New Road, near Blackpool, 21 November 2018. Photo: Ros Wills
The shale gas company, Cuadrilla, is to allow more fluid to come back to the surface after fracking, in an attempt to tackle the problem of earth tremors. It will also seek to raise the threshold on the magnitude of tremors at which fracking must stop.
The news came in a statement overnight from one of the Cuadrilla’s main investors, the Australian mining company, A J Lucas. AJ Lucas statement
Cuadrilla has confirmed that the statement is accurate but has declined to comment or add anything to it.
A series of 36 small and micro tremors have been recorded since Cuadrilla began fracking at its site at Preston New Road near Blackpool on 15 October 2018. DrillOrDrop tremor tracker
On four occasions, the company stopped fracking operations at Preston New Road because the magnitude of the tremors reached the threshold in the regulations, known as the traffic light system.
The statement, from the A J Lucas chairman, Philip Arnall, said the seismic threshold of 0.5 ML (local magnitude) was regarded as “overly conservative”.
But he said Cuadrilla was “working on the assumption that this constraint will not be altered for the current hydraulic fracturing operations”. The energy minister, Claire Perry, said last month it would be “foolish” to change the threshold at the moment.
Mr Arnall said Cuadrilla had therefore devised a work-plan to “optimise fracking and well performance” that allowed it to operate within the 0.5 ML threshold. He gave the following summary:
“it will involve a greater flow-back of fracturing fluid between fracturing stages by lengthening flowback periods and increasing the sand to water ratio in the fluid composition.”
This goes further than Cuadrilla’s most recent statement to DrillOrDrop which said:
“we are now analysing that data as well as drawing on expert advice to determine how we can further optimise our hydraulic fracturing programme within the very rigorous operating boundaries of the micro-seismic traffic light system”.
Mr Arnall added:
“On completion of the fracturing phase a flowtest programme will take place to evaluate well 1 before embarking on the well 2 programme.”
Greater flowback could increase costs for Cuadrilla by requiring the treatment, transport or recycling of larger volumes.
The company had estimated that 22,000 cubic metres of flowback would return to the surface for one well at Preston New Road.
A hearing is underway this morning at the High Court in London on whether the Environment Agency had required Cuadrilla to deal with flowback in the best way. DrillOrDrop will be reporting on this hearing later today.
“More appropriate” limit on earth tremors
Mr Arnall said Cuadrilla would also try to raise the threshold in the traffic light system. His statement continued:
“Concurrently Cuadrilla will engage with the regulators and the industry to clearly demonstrate that a more appropriate upper limit on seismic monitoring should be set to enable optimal testing without compromising on world class environmental and safety measures.”
DrillOrDrop has reported on evidence that Cuadrilla agreed to the 0.5 ML threshold six years ago.
Critics of fracking have argued that the 0.5 ML threshold was set for safety reasons. DrillOrDrop guest post.
Tony Bosworth, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“Cuadrilla clearly wants fracking earthquake regulations to be relaxed, but government should resist siren calls from a company that agreed to the regulations six years ago, and is now apparently having problems working within them.
“Only two months ago Cuadrilla said they wanted to frack the second well at Preston New Road within weeks, that date is now being pushed back. Investor patience must be wearing thin.”
Mr Arnall also referred to a video statement by Cuadrilla’s chief executive, Francis Egan. This does not appear to be online and a Cuadrilla spokesperson said:
“If AJ Lucas decides to put the video on their website you can obviously view it there, but we are not proactively sending out their shareholder video.”
A J Lucas owns 47.4% of Cuadrilla. Its shares fell slightly today. The statement suggested it would seek a “direct presence” in the UK.
Categories: Industry
DRILL OR DROP? 
Cuadrilla are, and always were, cowboys. They never successfully drilled a well, and certainly haven’t successfully fracked one. This seems a last-ditch attempt to restore credibility to prop up investment. Shewd observers will conclude it is already a message of failure. My advice to AJ Lucas is take the hit, withdraw and leave Cuadrilla to become just a footnote in a historical reference to attempts to frack the UK.
Alan – what totally rubbish you write. They’ve successfully drilled several wells and never had any HSE issues. The way that the fracking is going at the moment is totally down to the geology – they are doing the responsible thing and taking it easy.
You have a shallow grasp of the facts, I am afraid.
Alan – and exactly what qualifications have you got in this subject? Watched Gaslands twice have you. Come on tell me some facts Alan – number of people injured as a result of fracking – zero. HSE incidents from Cuadrilla – zero. Leakages from Cuadrilla wells – zero.
My qualifications are established through my work over the last six years or so, and published. Please restrict your comments to the accuracy or otherwise of what I say rather than who I am or what my qualifications are.
If you think that HSE did not face serious issues with Cuadrilla at PH1 you frankly have not been looking at the evidence.
Gas from Cuadrilla-dug wells over 6 years – 0.
What does that prove?
Frankly your suggestion that no peopplke have been harmed by Cuadrilla’s activities is obnoxious to me. It not only ignores the evidence but contradicts my own experience.
Go away and come back when you have established your own credentials.
Alan – I’ve got a PhD in chemistry and worked on environment-related issues for 30 years. In that time I’ve also gained a reasonable amount of expertise in geology, geomechanics and petroleum engineering.
And was your, publication peer reviewed – I don’t think it was from my recollection.
The only harm anyone has come to is from stress caused by [edited by moderator] unsubstantiated scare stories.
That’s interesting. But what we have learned over the years is that academic qualifications have not enough. peple in academic ivory towers have no right to impose their views over those who have a holistic approach.
PHD is squit. It does not justify your opinion, your intelligence, or your morality. Or lack of any of these.
You have never introduced any new information, all you have done is imposed a [Edited by moderator] pro-fracking slant on the conversations here.
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No ivory towers with me. I’ve just got loads of experience in this area [edited by moderator]
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Judith you wrongly attributed an argument to me in a thread that was less than ten posts long at the time you made your reply. Is this indicative of the level of care you take during your day job or research work? and can I expect an apology?
Only because HSE have failed to monitor / check Cuadrilla’s work on their various well sites.
Wandering Dutchman – it’s such a nice little narrative you have but wrong. Cuadrilla have had the best monitoring system that I can think of. [Edited by moderator]
Hi Alan, I completely agree with you, as AJ Lucas is deep in debt. I came across an analysis report from September 2017, which I think makes interesting reading. Especially with regards of the UK’s geology and that it notes, only three other countries outside the USA, Canada, China and Argentina (remember the pro-fracking lobby boasting about it being carried out globally?) have commercial shale gas production. Even in AJ Lucas’s homeland, Australia, shale gas has been abandoned! http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/6e9f66_c1ce4cf5ea674c3f8bb834675bca55c6.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/27/wa-government-lifts-statewide-fracking-ban
https://www.pumpindustry.com.au/santos-announces-start-of-australias-first-commercial-shale-gas-production/
But CBM works better there (I’m sure you also like this method of gas production – the one Ian Crane used to confuse the antis….).
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/ng-interactive/2018/jun/18/an-unconventional-gas-boom-the-rise-of-csg-in-australia
Doesn’t look like it Patrick?
October 2012?????
Dear Patrick, it’s great that you admit that commercial gas production from shale is possible. Also fantastic you’ve shown to drill or drop readers the counties where it is commercial. However, you’re wrong about Australia – there are many companies actively pursuing shale gas resource play there – there won’t be too many barriers put in our way I can assure you 🙂
And there it is – ‘our way’. Mr Cuadrilla et al; gotcha!
No comment really necessary they’re obviously clutching at straws.
I feel Mr. Egan is on very dodgy ground but not because he and his family are now living on the fracking pad which he recently declared would be fine with him!
Peter – no comment because you haven’t got anything sensible to say. You know nothing about the subject but seem to want to make a noise. Totally pathetic.
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I live local to PNR so my thoughts and concerns carry much more weight than an Industry apologist like yourself.
Peter, there are lots of people who live close to PNR. My family lived there for many years but the work opportunities weren’t too great so most of us have left. I’ve been over many times to the area and I’ve meet lots of people who aren’t worried about fracking but are very annoyed about the protesters. [Edited by moderator]
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What is going to happen to the extra waste water they bring back up?
Disposed of as planned – very easy
More HGV journeys not 0
Planned for in the original TIA/TMP then?
Increased volumes of waste water is a problemJudith in terms of cost and limitations on current capacity. The UK has insufficient capacity to deal with even a few operational sites in terms of treating the volume of waste water generated from fracking. There would have to be significant expansion of treatment facilities which may not necessarily prove straightforward or rapid. And you may have some environmental qualifications but so do others that oppose fracking. Take Dr Julia Collins with a PHD in waste water treatment and a member of the Chartered Institution of Waste Management. Dr Collins is clearly qualified to comment on waste water treatment from fracking operations, yet she is so opposed to fracking she was willing to protes, get arrested to draw attention to the issues. There is a wide range of highly intelligent, professionally qualified people that oppose fracking. People are entitled to an opinion and by playing the intellectual snobbery card by your insinuation that only those that you consider to be suitably qualified are entitled to an opinion or comment about fracking, is not only ridiculous but is frankly nothing more than your opinion. Everyone is entitled to an opinion.
Fracking is a complex process, factors such as economics, the legal and regulatory framework as well as market conditions all impact the industry. And you cannot possibly be an expert in all aspects of the industry. And above all public opinion is extremely important because we live in a democracy.
Dear Kat, could you ask Dr Collins what are the main differences between flowback water and the water that was produced from coal mines? I’d really like to hear her views in terms of toxicity and volumes. My guess is that she really doesn’t know what she’s writing about
From a 100% failure rate over 4 wells drilled so far, to ‘they’ve successfully drilled several wells…’
Well done Judith Green for your leap from one to the other, which is of truly of Olympian proportions 😉
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[Edited by moderator] they have not failed drilling any wells. [Edited by moderator] Obviously you don’t work in the industry and have a very different view on what constitutes failure. Frankly, your views on the subject are totally irrelevant and I’ll-informed
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Where is the waste water disposed of Judith?
Paula – I’m not going to say as I don’t know if it’s general knowledge – the last thing that is needed is clueless protesters blocking a water treatment facility that is important for the city which it’s in
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So, from this statement by A J Lucas it can be concluded:
Cuadrilla’s ‘results’ are no good if you need a ‘strategy’ which includes raising the permitted levels for seismic events the other ‘strategy’ of allowing more fluid back is clearly a ruse…think about it. 😉
And to top it all ‘Judith’ is screaming……with so much credibility(?) and knowledge that this would be a success, a purposeful silence would have confirmed the viability of this approach..
Katowice Climate Change Conference – 2–14 December 2018 https://unfccc.int/katowice
Hang on to your hats! – which you should be wearing at this time of year, of course 🙂
If protestors wanted to find it they could Judith. So it goes to a city water treatment works. Where does the ‘treated’ water go Judith?
Presumably, to the same place as water that’s been treated to remove other nasties that we regularly flush away, such as bleach, oven cleaner or human faeces…
Judith is probably like many of the pro frackers who castigate the protectors with their comments, live no where near an existing or proposed fracking site and have not experienced at first hand the issues.
Ronin, I must admit that only one of my houses is within 3km of a fracking site. I would gladly have them drill in my garden. I don’t want to be a hypocrite who uses gas but doesn’t want the production close to me. Fracking in the uk has been brilliant in terms of making people aware of the link between energy use and climate change. It’s a shame that the anti frackers don’t focus on issues that are important.
Oh dear.
That was an angry outburst from the square root of ba.
So, Cuadrilla initially fracked most of well 1. They then reviewed what they had done to see if they could improve it. Now, going to try to do that.
Shock/horror. Hold the front page-this is so far adrift of TESTING. Mr. Hamilton has been doing it all wrong-never going to be successful that way.
Ohh. Back page shows he has been.
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