New UK prime minister Liz Truss has lifted a ban on fracking
UK shale drillers hope for rebirth
The new administration’s lifting of a fracking moratorium is cause for renewed optimism
UK chemicals firm Ineos has repeated its offer to drill a test shale gas well after the country’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, removed a fracking ban. Independent producer Igas also welcomed the move as the UK shale industry seeks revitalisation. Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe first made the test well offer in a national newspaper op-ed in April. “Shale has helped transform the energy landscape and the local communities in the US, [which] is well protected against the energy crisis as it is making the most of its natural resources. It can do the same here in the UK,” says Ineos director Tom Crotty. “We have promised to invest the first 6pc of the value of the gas back into the local communit
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
