The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has today released a set of data collected during Cuadrilla’s hydraulic fracturing operations at Preston New Road in 2018.

Preston New Road - PNR 1Z - Hydraulic Fracturing Operations Data

In February 2019, the OGA announced it would work with recognised and independent geologists and scientists with expertise in hydraulic fracturing, to carry out a scientific analysis of the data gathered during Cuadrilla’s operations at Preston New Road. This is not a review of the traffic light system. 

This analysis has now commenced and the OGA has appointed leads for the following workstreams: 

  • Forecasting the distribution and magnitude of seismicity - led by the British Geological Survey
  • Impacts of ground motion from seismicity - led by Dr Ben Edwards 
  • Real-time forecasting to mitigate effects of seismicity – led by Nanometrics Inc.
  • Induced seismicity and potential subsurface mechanisms - led by Outer Limits Geophysics

The OGA will continue to provide updates on its website.