LONDON — Britain’s government has approved its second shale-gas fracking permit, overruling a local authority decision and boosting the country’s position as Europe’s most promising shale-gas exploration ground. Britain’s secretary of state for communities and local government Sajid Javid on Thursday gave the go-ahead for shale-gas company Cuadrilla to carry out hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, at a site in northwest England. The approval is only Britain’s second since a moratorium on fracking was lifted in 2012 after Third Energy received the green light for a project in northern England in May. Britain is estimated to have substantial amounts of shale gas trapped in underground rocks and the government wants to exploit it to offset declining North Sea oil and gas output. It said the shale-gas industry could create 64,000 jobs and help economic growth. Britain, which will start procedures in 2017 to leave the EU, imports about half of its gas needs and that could rise to as much ...
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