Following the U.K.'s recent initiative to accelerate shale gas projects in the country, the government has announced plans to give 27 oil and gas exploration licenses in England, on Tuesday.
The Oil and聽Gas Authority of the U.K.聽announced on Tuesday聽that 27 onshore blocks will be formally offered to companies.
Successful companies,聽with the necessary financial, technical and environmental competencies, will be given licenses to explore onshore oil and gas, opening the doors to the possibility of聽fracking across England,聽according to the press release.
A second group of 132聽blocks will be offered to companies and announced later in the year,聽provided they pass a detailed environmental regulatory聽assessment.
Licenses for all offered blocks will be granted once the terms and conditions are met and finalized.
The blocks were determined as part of聽the fourteenth onshore oil and gas licensing round.聽
"The U.K. government has decided that no new Petroleum Exploration and Development Licenses聽will be awarded in Scotland or Wales including as part of the 14th round," the press release said.
As part of the country's long-term聽plan to聽"build a more resilient economy, create jobs and deliver secure energy supplies" the government continues to support the聽onshore oil and gas industry and the safe development of shale gas in the U.K., Energy Minister Lord Bourne said.
With this in mind, the Oil and聽Gas Authority "moved quickly to confirm the winners of license blocks which do not need further environmental assessment,"聽Bourne added.
In a bid to accelerate shale gas deployment, the U.K. government聽released new measures on Aug.聽13, to help significantly cut waiting periods for shale projects while allowing for intervention in applications聽if necessary.
鈥淚nvestment in shale could reach 拢33 billion ($51.7 billion)聽and support 64,000 jobs creating financial security for hardworking people and their families, whilst providing a cost-efficient bridge to lower-carbon energy use,鈥� he argued.
By Zeynep Beyza聽Karabay
Anadolu Agency
zeynep.karabay.aa.com.tr