A second planning application to start the process which leads to fracking has been submitted for part of Nottinghamshire.
The county council has received a proposal from Island Gas, also known as IGas, for land between Blyth and Barnby Moor.
The company has requested to drill up to nine boreholes at three different sites on Tinker Lane, just off of the A634 north west of Retford. A decision from the council is expected by July 8.
The very first step would be to drill an exploratory well to test the ground on the site.
A six week consultation has begun to help councillors decide on the final outcome of the application.
IGas is already involved in an application for land at Misson Springs, further north in Notts, where it has already been given permission to drill exploratory groundwater monitoring boreholes.
IGas have chosen sites in Nottinghamshire because the company believes that there are “potentially significant shale gas reserves” in the county.
The site where IGas want to drill boreholes in North Nottinghamshire
The company also believes that it could lead to “significant investment, community benefits and opportunities for local communities through the creation of jobs, local investment and revenue for local councils,” according to documents submitted with the application.
We are in a very early stage
In a statement, IGas said: “We have recently identified this site which we plan to develop as an exploration site.
“The proposed development would be to drill a single vertical well down through the coal and shale layers to collect the rock samples for analysis.
“We are in a very early stage of the process.”
Fracking involves the hydraulic fracturing of rocks by pumping water and chemicals at high pressure to release gas to be used for energy.
It is already widely in use in North America, and several applications are now being considered across the UK.
Supporters say it can create energy at low cost and create jobs, but many environmental campaigners have opposed it, saying it can harm wildlife and cause pollution.
