IGas (LON:IGAS) has revealed plans to drill a shale gas well in Ellesmere Port later this year.
The company told investors that is has now secured a rig to drill a single vertical exploration well in the industrial town on Merseyside.
It is IGas’s third well of this kind to be drilled in the UK – following successes in Cheshire and Manchester (Barton Moss).
These wells will inform the group’s plans and designs for fracking and testing, as well as providing further insight into the potential extent of the group’s shale resources.
IGas said the well’s findings will prove invaluable for future planning applications for potential shale wells and the ability to demonstrate the commerciality of gas extraction from these deep formations.
"We are delighted to have secured a suitable rig for our exploration well at Ellesmere Port,” said IGas chief executive Andrew Austin.
“This well, similar to the one we successfully drilled at Barton Moss earlier this year, is to further appraise the geology in the North West and another step in unlocking Britain's onshore energy resources."
IGas added that it has now begun a comprehensive community engagement programme ahead of the drill programme (more details can be found here - www.igas-engage.co.uk).