Shale gas developer Cuadrilla on Tuesday became the first operator in Britain to receive final consent from the government to frack an onshore horizontal exploration well, paving the way for commercial production. The government said it had granted approval for so-called hydraulic fracturing to take place at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site in northwest England. “I have carefully considered Cuadrilla’s application and I am content that hydraulic fracturing consent should be granted in this instance,” Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said in a statement. Hydraulic fracturing consent was introduced in 2015 as an additional step to the government’s regulatory and permitting regime and ensures all necessary environmental, health and safety permits have been obtained. Fracking involves perforating wells and fracturing rocks by […]