Independent consultants Poyry said in a review of the state of the sector it was dropping an estimate it made in 2012 that UK shale production could happen in 2014 or 2015.
The exploration phase is taking longer than previously anticipated due to several factors, Poyry said, citing judicial reviews, legal challenges, and regulatory delays.
Poyry's review urged for the approvals process to be streamlined in order to avoid hindering production, estimating an average shale project would take between six and eight years to get from licensing to production without legal delays.
While
