Households across an estimated 6,000 square miles of England – an area the size of Yorkshire – are expected to learn within days that their areas have been earmarked for possible fracking.

Ministers are preparing to award energy companies licences to explore for shale gas and oil, in an attempt to kick-start the fledgling UK fracking industry.

It is understood that they will announce the names of companies who have been awarded dozens of oil and gas exploration licences in England, covering an area of roughly 1,000 square miles.

More than 100 further licences, spanning an estimated 5,000 square miles, are also expected to be identified as areas that are likely to be awarded in a second batch later this year, subject to further environmental consultation.

Licences in the ‘Bowland shale’ region – including parts of Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire – are thought to be particularly rich in shale gas and are likely to be most sought after.

Estimates suggest there could be 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas trapped in the rocks deep beneath the Bowland. If just 10 per cent could be extracted, it could meet Britain’s annual gas demand for more than 40 years.

Companies have also applied to explore in parts of the South East, where there is believed to be some shale oil. At least one firm has even applied for rights to explore in central London, generally regarded as less promising.

To win licences, companies must commit to invest in exploration, which at a minimum is likely to include seismic surveys. In the most promising areas it is expected to include plans to drill or frack several wells. Companies that win licences would still need planning permission and environmental permits before being able to frack.

Despite enthusiastic backing for shale gas exploration from David Cameronand George Osborne, progress has been slow, with no wells fracked since 2011 when Cuadrilla caused earth tremors near Blackpool. Ministers this week unveiled new planning guidance to fast-frack fracking, including the power to bypass councils altogether.

Energy companies already have exploration licences covering about 7,300 square miles of the UK. Last year, ministers offered them the chance to apply for a further 37,000 square miles.

Companies submitted applications for 295 licences, each spanning about 40 square miles. About 25 of these were in Scotland and Wales and will no longer be awarded by the Westminster Government following further devolution.

Sources said that roughly 100 licence applications had been unsuccessful because of concerns about the companies’ finances or plans.

The first batch of licences that will be awarded in coming days are likely to be less controversial than those that are subject to further consultation, which include sites protected under EU law due to rare species or habitats.

Matt Williams of the RSPB urged the Government to honour its commitment that there would be “no fracking in protected areas”.

Ken Cronin, chief executive of fracking industry group UKOOG, said that any eventual fracking sites within the new licence areas would have an “extremely small footprint”.

“Research from the Institute of Directors shows that 100 shale gas sites, the size of two football pitches each, could reduce the UK’s import dependency by half,” he said.