The Treasury is consulting on creating a shale wealth fund, which it said could provide up to £1bn over 25 years to communities hosting shale gas developments.
The consultation document states that the proposals aim to ensure the benefits of onshore operations will go to local people first, and that individuals and communities who host developments will be directly involved in the decision-making about how the tax revenues from shale gas exploration are spent.
The consultation ends on 26 October 2016.