Energy firm Cuadrilla has announced plans to drill four boreholes for water monitoring at Lancashire.

The company, which has notified the county council of its plans, will carry out the project at its Preston New Road site.

It will last 16 days and include drilling the monitoring boreholes to a depth of 30 metres.

The firm added it will be submitting a proposal for a similar project at its Roseacre Wood site.

The county council rejected the firm’s plans to frack at both sites last year but the company appealed against the decision.

Under UK legislation, Cuadrilla has been required to establish a baseline of the natural groundwater conditions in the vicinity of the proposed shale gas exploration works before any hydraulic fracturing work begins.

It added a final decision from the government is expected later this year.

Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla said: “We have repeatedly spoken about our commitment to environmental monitoring and compliance with the UK’s robust regulation as an important foundation for our proposed exploration works. These notices demonstrate our intent to put our words into action.

“Whilst we wait for the outcome of our appeals for planning permission for both exploration sites, we want to ensure that if we do get the go ahead we are fully prepared to meet our obligations on baseline monitoring of the ground water. This will allow us to reassure and demonstrate to the local community and our regulators that the groundwater will not be adversely impacted by our operations.”