Note the deep shaft

Another attempt to convince a so-far reluctant UK government that shale gas work is far from being the pantomime villain that protesters want them to imagine it is. Insisting that ‘tremors’ far smaller than allowed in other comparable UK industries merit stoppages is unreasonable to say the least.

Energy firm Cuadrilla has resumed fracking at its site in Lancashire, it has confirmed.

Drilling began at the Preston New Road site in October but operations were halted on a number of occasions due to underground tremors, reports BBC News.

No fracking has taken place on the site since December.

The Little Plumpton site has been the focus of repeated demonstrations, with protesters saying fracking is harmful.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the UK has “world-leading regulations that ensure shale gas exploration happens in a safe and environmentally responsible way”.

However, campaign group Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to ban fracking and support renewable energy.

Spokesperson Jamie Peters said: “Fracking just isn’t part of the future if we are serious about avoiding climate breakdown.”

Cuadrilla has been calling for a review of the threshold of seismic activity at which fracking must stop.

Currently tremors measuring 0.5 magnitude or above mean fracking must be temporarily stopped while tests are carried out.

The BEIS has confirmed there is currently a review by the Oil and Gas Authority of recent industry data which it “will consider once completed”.

Full report here.

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop

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August 15, 2019 at 07:12AM