Planners in the British county of Lancashire said they needed more time to consider drilling plans from shale pioneer Cuadrilla Resources.

Cuadrilla in June deposited 21 chapters of environmental studies with the Lancashire County Council associated with plans for up to four shale gas exploration wells.

The council said initially it would make a determination by early November, but said they now needed more time to make a decision.

"The council has now written to Cuadrilla asking for further time to receive, organize, assess, and present all the relevant information for the application to be determined by the committee," it said in a Thursday statement.

Cuadrilla said there may be as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of shale natural gas in the Bowland basin in Lancashire. When he submitted the studies to the council, Cuadrilla Chief Executive Officer Francis Egan said the documents represented the "most comprehensive" studies of their kind ever completed.

The Lancashire council said it aimed to make a decision on Cuadrilla's application by no later than January.

There was no statement from Cuadrilla on the council's request.