The Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) – the UK’s oil and gas regulator – has today announced that 159 onshore blocks under the 14th Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round are being formally offered to successful applicants. These blocks will be incorporated into 93 onshore licences.

A Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence (PEDL) does not itself give any direct permission for operations to begin. A PEDL grants the licensee exclusivity over an area of land for onshore hydrocarbon exploration, appraisal and extraction. The exclusivity applies to both conventional and unconventional operations.

The UK has a long history of onshore gas exploration, and has developed a robust regulatory system to ensure that any such operations will be carried out to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection. Before a PEDL licensee can begin operations (such as drilling, hydraulic fracturing or production) they must be granted a number of further permissions and consents. These include, for example, planning permission, environmental permits from the Environment Agency, scrutiny of well design by the Health and Safety Executive, and OGA consents under the terms of the PEDL.

Around 75% of the 159 blocks being offered today relate to unconventional shale oil or gas, and additional regulatory requirements apply to this kind of activity.

The offer of PEDLs today follows a detailed environmental assessment of the proposed blocks under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, which was subject to public consultation. The OGA is today also publishing its updated Habitats assessment report, and its response to the consultation. Following this assessment, and the conclusion of the consultation process, the OGA is satisfied that the approval of the 14th licensing round, and the offer and eventual award of the individual PEDLs, will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of any protected European site.

With about 75% of the 159 blocks being offered relate to the unconventional shale oil or gas, usually obtained from the ground through hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) this announcement is seen by many as a step further by the government to push forward UK's hydraulic fracturing agenda to bolster the oil and gas industry in UK.

You can read more on this on the following websites:

New onshore oil and gas licences offered

UK government hands out new fracking licenses

New licences for UK shale gas exploration

UK government hands out new fracking licences