The UK government has lifted the moratorium on shale gas production in England. The UK department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced that, to bolster the UK’s energy security, the government has lifted the moratorium on shale gas production in England and confirmed its support for a new oil and gas licensing round. BEIS revealed that the government will consider future applications for hydraulic fracturing consent, adding that developers will need to have the necessary licenses, permissions and consents in place before they can commence operations. The department highlighted that the decision to lift the shale moratorium comes alongside the publication of the British Geological Survey’s (BGS) scientific review into shale gas extraction, which was commissioned earlier this year. The review recognized that we have limited current understanding of UK geology and onshore shale resources, BEIS noted, adding that “it is clear that we need more […]