I-Gas Energy plc, the independent oil and gas company with headquarters in London, is to start drilling at its exploration site in Ellesmere Port in November.
The vertical exploration well will be the third drilled to extract shale-gas reserves from the company’s licensed sites in the region.
An I-Gas spokesman said the move will “support future planning applications for potential shale wells and demonstrate the commerciality of gas extraction from the deep formations”.
He added that the company’s acquisition of Australia-based Dart Energy (agreed in May) is in its final stages.
I-Gas produces around 3,000 barrels of oil and gas equivalent a day from 110 sites throughout the UK.