Cuadrilla allowed to delay closure of Lancashire fracking wells

Regulator gives gas exploration company another year to plug wells, amid UK energy security concerns

The UK's oil and gas regulator has withdrawn a demand that the fracking firm Cuadrilla plug and abandon two wells in Lancashire, sparking accusations that the government is reopening the door to the controversial technology.

Amid concerns about the UK's energy security after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Boris Johnson has appeared to waver over the government's moratorium on fracking, which was imposed in 2019.