Drone picture of Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road shale gas site, near Blackpool, 25 April 2019. Photo: Debs Jackson
Anti-fracking campaigners have accused Cuadrilla of leaving local people “in the dark” as more equipment was removed off the company’s Preston New Road site this week.
Frack Free Lancashire described drone images taken yesterday of the site near Blackpool as “more like an abandoned ghost town” than a “flagship fracking site”.
The company told DrillOrDrop there were about 30 people working on the site today, “in line with the work programme”.
The UK’s first horizontal shale gas well was fracked at Preston New Road between October and December 2018.
In March 2019, the company said in a statement it had delivered specialist equipment “designed to get two existing wells ready for further hydraulic fracturing later this year”.
Photos taken this week showed the removal of lighting gear, reinforced site surfacing, hoses and other equipment.
Today, Claire Stephenson, of Frack Free Lancashire said:
“Once again, the community is left in the dark regarding Cuadrilla’s movements at the Preston New Road site. Their communication has always been poor, aside from the glossy press releases they send out to appease investors and give them impression all is well.
“All is not well, clearly. The site is currently being emptied at a rapid rate and drone footage has shown it to be a sparse setting that no longer resembles the “flagship fracking site”, but more like an abandoned ghost town.
“It’s hard to see any positive progress for this non-existent industry in the UK. Not forgetting fracking’s geological issues in this country and health impacts (of which the government and industry have conveniently ignored), there is a clear climate crisis and there is no room for any new fossil fuel extraction.”
In a response, Cuadrilla told DrillOrDrop:
“Today there are about 30 people working on site at our shale gas exploration site in Preston New Road, which is far from an ‘abandoned ghost town’ and in line with the work programme being carried out currently.
“We confirmed last week to you that we were demobilising kit that we don’t own or need, which is simply good business practice. Please be reassured that work is ongoing and both our wells remain ready for hydraulic fracturing.”
The industry regulator, the Oil & Gas Authority, confirmed today that Cuadrilla did not have an approved hydraulic fracturing plan for the second shale gas well at Preston New Road, called PNR-2.
Categories: Industry
DRILL OR DROP? 
For the record MARTIIN ,
How much have the residents within the sacrifice zone at Cuadrillas PNR site been offered to date ???????
ANSWER ………. 90% have been offered £150.
Now there may be some PR spin merchants who try and entice residents with all sorts of,, Gold at the end of the rainbow, future promises, which lets be honest mean absolutly SWEET NOTHING .
For myself and others in the real world, actions speak louder than words and as to date , what’s been offered to 90% of the households is £150 .
Broken down into figures, that means a family of five sharing this amazing ” windfall ” would each receive £30 😂 .
These are the facts .
No, they are NOT the facts, Jack. You have problems with maths-others do-but many do not.
You haven’t a clue what I am referring to, but that is up to you to do some more research. I have advised you repeatedly on this item but you continue to show you haven’t, or “hot keyboarding” is the problem. Either way, the maths still remain the same-if plans are not altered going forward.
Oh, by the way, the same maths also apply to the Community Fund.
NO MARTIN ,
YOU make a statement, NOW show us the evidence to support your claim..
EVIDENCE PLEASE MARTIN …………..
For the benefit of forum members, may I present the following evidence to support my case . Taken from the Guardian Newspaper website
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/06/fracking-payouts-shale-gas-cuadrilla-lancashire
For more confirmation, please Google search ………… ” Cuadrilla payment to residents ” it’s all there on the Cuadrillas own website .
Now MARTIN if you are having difficulty comprehending this crystal clear information and/or having difficulty with YOUR understanding of Maths, then please come back to me.
Jack is always ready to help .
PS…………Community Fund you say , £100,000 ……. Don’t make me laugh . Taking into account the depreciation of ONE single home within the sacrifice zone area . The £100,000 community fund would ” pale into insignificance ”
DID YOU also know that the leading insurance companies, don’t want to know if you live in close proximity to a Fracking site . How will that effect residents buildings insurance premiums, if they are lucky enough obtain it .
WORTH NOTING…… If you can not obtain buildings insurance , your home is ” unmortgageable ”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/householders-affected-by-floods-face-insurance-double-whammy-if-they-live-nearby-planned-fracking-a6804476.html
A further problem for home owners, in addition to the question over insurance, is that people are reporting that being in a fracking area is now a consideration on property “searches” and potential sales are being lost. Mortgage lenders will be considering not only the insurance position but the potential negative equity aspect of this too which will be a further problem to anyone sellling their property.