Onshore and offshore exploration company Third Energy has applied to the Environment Agency  for permits to frack in North Yorkshire.

The company plans to carry out hydraulic fracturing, known as ‘fracking’, for shale gas in an existing borehole at Kirby Misperton, near Pickering.

Third Energy has separately submitted a planning application to North Yorkshire County Council to hydraulically stimulate and test various geological formations, at the existing Well KM8 at Kirby Misperton. If successful, the tests will be followed by the production of gas from one or more of these formations into the existing production facilities for the generation of electricity. The prospective nature of the formations was identified during the KM8 drilling operation in 2013 and subsequent analysis of well data.

The work involved in the proposed development will consist of five principal phases: preStimulation Workover; Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation and Well Test; Production Test; Production; and the eventual site restoration.

The permits needed for the proposed project include a bespoke mining waste operation permit, including a non-hazardous mining waste facility, a bespoke radioactive substances permit and a bespoke groundwater activity permit.

The Environment Agency is now seeking views from the local community and interested groups on the applications. The public consultation which starts tomorrow will run until Friday 10 July.

Martin Christmas, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

“Our regulatory controls for onshore oil and gas are in place to protect people and the environment. We will now assess the proposals to ensure they meet our strict requirements.”

The consultation documents will be available online from tomorrow – click here to access the Environment Agency’s consultation web pages.