UK shale gas explorer Cuadrilla Resources is planning to engage with regulators and the wider industry over current upper limits on seismic monitoring during hydraulic fracturing.

Cuadrilla and its chief executive Francis Ega n have previously raised concerns about the “extremely conservative” 0.5 magnitude limit on hydraulic fracturing operations in the UK, which has repeatedly paused the company’s work in northern England.

Cuadrilla has had to stop fracking four times for breaching the current limit at its site in Little Plumpton in Lancashire, where it plans to frack two wells, and then run an initial flow test of the gas produced from both wells aiming to demonstrate the project can be moved into commercial production.

However, Cuadrilla now aims to engage with the regulators and the industry to “clearly demonstrate that a more appropriate upper limit on seismic monitoring should be set to enable optimal testing without compromising on world class environmental and safety measures”, according to major shareholder AJ Lucas.

“Cuadrilla considers the upper limit of 0.5 magnitude overly conservative and this is supported by evidence from other industries operating in the UK and other countries engaged in shale gas fracturing,” the Australian group said.

“Cuadrilla is however working on the assumption that this constraint will not be altered for the current hydraulic fracturing operations,” it said.

The plan would need to be submitted to the government. No timeline has been given.

Multiple tremors have been registered since Cuadrilla’s operations began, most under the 0.5 magnitude limit. A micro seismic event of 1.1 local magnitude was the highest registered.

The tremor was classed as a red event in line with the monitoring system regulated by the Oil & Gas Authority and forced Cuadrilla to pause operations for 18 hours.