In a speech setting out the government’s legislative plans for the next year, Queen Elizabeth II said a bill would be proposed to “enhance the U.K.’s energy independence and security by opening up access to shale and geothermal sites.”
Today, companies planning to drill onshore need to obtain consent from every landowner whose property a well may pass under. The new law will remove the need for this permission, the government said. Drilling for shale often involves horizontal wells that run for hundreds of meters, so can pass under several different properties.
If approved by parliament, the Bill could be passed in time for the 2015 election, Tim Pugh, a partner at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, said in an e-mailed response to questions.
Read More......
