Shale gas company Cuadrilla is to apply for planning consent to carry out test drilling at more sites.
The firm said it intends to apply for planning consent to hydraulically fracture and test shale at its existing exploration well at Grange Hill, Lancashire, and at up to six new sites in Fylde.
The locations of the new sites will be determined in the coming months.
Francis Egan, Cuadrilla’s chief executive, said: “The purpose of all our ongoing exploratory work is to demonstrate that natural gas can be produced from the shale in commercial quantities. By sharing our plans for the exploratory programme, we hope that people will have an understanding of what we plan to do and why.
“The British Geological Survey last week confirmed the exciting scale of Lancashire’s gas resource, and we look forward to working closely with local communities and regulators as our exploration work progresses.
“The UK increasingly depends on imports for its supplies of gas. Gas is vital in heating our homes and businesses, supplying our industry and, along with other fuels and renewables, generating our electricity.
“We remain at the exploration phase of assessing the possibility, and together with our new partners at Centrica Energy, we are committed to doing this transparently, safely and sensibly. “
Opponents of the controversial energy source have said that claims that exploiting shale gas, through a system known as fracking, can get the economy moving again are “groundless”.
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