According to a report published by Amion Consulting, the creation of a supply-chain hub to serve a huge shale-gas field underneath parts of the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands could be worth £30 billion to the UK economy.

Commissioned by Peel Gas & Oil, the Creating a Supply Hub for the Bowland Shale report also claims that up to 13,000 jobs could be created.

The Bowland Shale region covers large parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

The report said: “The supply hub will result in a physical clustering of activity, much of which is likely to be located within the Ocean Gateway — between Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

“It is estimated that a hub will attract oil-field service companies, rig and steel-casing suppliers and manufacturers to the area. The Port of Liverpool is critical for this to happen.”

Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports (owner of the Port of Liverpool and a sister company to Peel Gas & Oil) said: “With the strategic assets and infrastructure already in place in the region, we are best placed to support the development of a supply chain for the industry and help make the most of the Bowland Shale for the benefit of the North.”