The UK government on Thursday officially lifted a moratorium on unconventional natural gas extraction in England and announced a new round of oil and gas licensing for offshore blocks in the North Sea.

“In light of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and weaponization of energy, strengthening our energy security is an absolute priority, and – as the prime minister said – we are going to ensure the UK is a net energy exporter by 2040,” said energy secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg. To get there, we will need to explore all avenues available to us through solar, wind, oil and gas production. So, it’s right that we’ve lifted the pause to realize any potential sources of domestic gas.”

The moratorium was enacted in November 2019 following a small earthquake in North England,...