Cuadrilla to apply for more Lancashire fracking sites 5 July 2013 Last updated at 01:29 Shale gas company Cuadrilla is to apply for planning consent to carry out more test drilling in Lancashire. It intends to apply for planning consent to hydraulically fracture and test the shale at its existing exploration well at Grange Hill. Cuadrilla also hopes over time to apply for consent to carry out test drilling gas flow at up to six new Fylde sites. Opponents claim water used in the fracking process will be contaminated and could enter domestic supplies. Francis Egan, Cuadrilla's chief executive, said: "The purpose of all our ongoing exploratory work is to demonstrate that natural gas can be produced from the shale in commercial quantities. By sharing our plans for the exploratory programme, we hope that people will have an understanding of what we plan to do and why. The British Geological Survey last week confirmed the exciting scale of Lancashire's gas resource, and we look forward to working closely with local communities and regulators as our exploration work progresses. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves the injection of highly pressurised fluids into shale to extract gas. It was temporarily banned in the UK after it was blamed for two earth tremors in Blackpool in 2011. A government review has now concluded fracking is safe if adequately monitored.