What Cuadrilla does

Cuadrilla Resources Limited is a privately held UK onshore oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Preston, England, focused on shale gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Founded in 2007 and operating with 51-100 employees, the company's principal asset is the Preston New Road Shale Exploration Site in Lancashire, where it has historically conducted exploration drilling, fracking operations, and is now planning well plug and abandonment activities scheduled for February 2025. The company's core technology is hydraulic fracturing applied to UK shale formations, with its value proposition centered on domestic gas supply to reduce UK reliance on imported LNG and support energy security.

Cuadrilla's commercial model relies on monetizing produced natural gas sold into UK energy markets, but this pathway has been suspended since October 2022 when the UK Government reimposed a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in England. The company holds planning permissions at Preston New Road and applied in December 2022 for a 24-month extension to the approved completion period. Its only disclosed customer segment is the UK Energy Sector, and no named offtakers, contract values, or pricing structures are publicly available. Marketing and stakeholder engagement is conducted primarily through social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) and the company website.

The company's strategic posture has shifted from active exploration toward site decommissioning, with no evidence of new product lines, geographic expansion, or material new investment beyond a minor financial adjacency via the October 2024 Bain Capital investment in Chartbeat (a Cuadrilla-backed entity). Capital relationships include an AJ Lucas Group investment recorded in February 2020. The company is led by Chairman Roy Franklin, with no further management team details disclosed in the source data.

Name

Cuadrilla

Legal name

Cuadrilla Resources Limited

Website

https://cuadrillaresources.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cuadrilla Resources is a privately held UK onshore shale gas exploration and production company based in Preston, operating the Preston New Road site in Lancashire via hydraulic fracturing. Its commercial pathway has been suspended by the UK fracking moratorium imposed in October 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Onshore Shale Gas Exploration & Production

NAICS

Natural Gas Extraction (211130), Oil and Gas Extraction (211), Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (213111)

SIC

Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro primary industry

Unconventional Gas E&P (Shale/Tight Gas) (EUAAAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unconventional Resources Development (Shale/Tight, CBM) (EUALAAAH), Well Completions & Stimulation (Hydraulic Fracturing, Sand Control) (EUALAAAE)

Keywords

• Shale gas exploration
• Hydraulic fracturing services
• Onshore gas production
• Well plug abandonment
• Domestic energy supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cuadrilla Resources is a UK-based onshore oil and gas exploration and production company that extracts shale gas using hydraulic fracturing technology. The company operates the Preston New Road Shale Exploration Site in Lancashire, England, and manages the full lifecycle of well operations including exploration, production, and well plug and abandonment.

Product overview

Cuadrilla Resources is an onshore oil and gas exploration and production company focused on shale gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing. The company operates the Preston New Road Shale Exploration Site in Lancashire, England, and is involved in the complete lifecycle of well operations from exploration through to well plug and abandonment. The company positions itself as supporting the UK's journey to carbon neutrality through domestic gas production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preston New Road Shale Exploration Site Shale gas exploration and production site in Lancashire, England, where Cuadrilla conducts hydraulic fracturing operations, gas extraction, and well plug and abandonment activities.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Direct peers

• Europa Oil & Gas: Europa Oil & Gas is a UK and Ireland-focused oil and gas exploration and production company with onshore UK assets. It is comparable to Cuadrilla as a small-cap UK E&P operator focused on onshore prospects.
• IGas Energy: IGas Energy is a UK-based onshore oil and gas exploration and production company focused on conventional and unconventional resources in the UK. It is the most direct domestic peer to Cuadrilla, operating in the same regulatory and political environment with overlapping unconventional gas interests.
• AJ Lucas Group: AJ Lucas Group is an Australian infrastructure and energy services company that has invested in Cuadrilla and is involved in drilling and unconventional gas services. It is a direct peer in the unconventional gas space and a known capital partner.
• Egdon Resources: Egdon Resources is a UK-based onshore oil and gas exploration and production company with significant UK unconventional gas license interests. It is directly comparable to Cuadrilla as a UK-focused E&P with unconventional resource exposure.
• Third Energy: Third Energy is a UK-based onshore gas exploration and production company that operated in Yorkshire, with interests in conventional and unconventional gas. It is a direct comparable given UK onshore gas operations and exposure to similar regulatory risk.
• INEOS Shale: INEOS Shale, a division of INEOS, was a major UK shale gas operator pursuing exploration licenses. It operated in the same Lancashire basin as Cuadrilla and faced the same regulatory headwinds from the UK fracking moratorium.

Broad incumbents

• Shell UK: Shell is a major global energy company with significant UK upstream operations. While not focused on UK shale, it is a broad incumbent in the UK energy sector with capital, technical capability, and strategic interest in domestic gas that could influence the unconventional gas landscape.
• Centrica: Centrica is a major UK integrated energy company with interests in domestic gas production and E&P. It represents the downstream demand side for any UK-produced shale gas and is a broad incumbent in the UK gas value chain.

Emerging players

• Reach Exploration: Reach Exploration is a small UK-based onshore oil and gas explorer. It is an emerging UK onshore E&P player with a similar scale and operational profile to Cuadrilla, though without the same level of unconventional gas focus.

Regional players

• Dart Energy: Dart Energy was an Australia/Asia-focused coalbed methane and unconventional gas developer with historical UK interests. It is comparable to Cuadrilla as an unconventional gas developer with overlapping geographic and technical exposure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cuadrillauk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cuadrillaresources/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cuadrilla-Resources-248785495162185
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brabant-resources

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cuadrilla