Hello Cuadrilla! Is there anybody there?

As many of you will know Cuadrilla make a big thing of their responsiveness to local community issues and their PR company, PPS Group, man a

Community Helpline

0800 170 1115
(24hr message service outside office hours)

We contacted them by email with the following query 10 days ago

In the documents released under Foi and reported by the Guardian it seems Mr Egan wrote to Mr Hayes saying that “additional financial security” had been put in place to “address any concerns about well abandonment commitments”

Would you be kind enough to tell us what this means in real terms.

Firstly as this was “additional” what financial security was already in place against well abandonment issues?

Secondly how much money has been set aside in total to “address any concerns about well abandonment commitments” , where is it and how can we be sure it will still be safely available in future (will it be held in escrow somewhere?)

8 days ago we received a response

I just wanted to let you know that I did receive this email, and should have an answer with you tomorrow.

3 days ago we reminded them that we are waiting with bated breath

We are still waiting ……

Do you think they would prefer not to have to answer this question?

And finally… after 10 days…. we got this from PPS group – Cuadrilla’s PR agency

Cuadrilla has more than adequate funding available to provide for security for wells drilled in the current exploration phase. Should an increase in scale during any extraction phase require additional security, Cuadrilla will agree with the appropriate regulatory authority (in this instance DECC) what security it requires

As this clearly suggests that Cuadrilla have in fact set no money aside at all, Mr Egan’s statement that “additional financial security” had been put in place to “address any concerns about well abandonment commitments” looks at best misleading doesn’t it?