The fracking gas companies have recently been pursuing an aggressive media and publicity campaign to get the Government to relax the 0.5 level seismic regulation — a limit they agreed at the outset but now state is making fracking production unworkable. A number of academics signed a paper saying it was safe to increase this limit. It later transpired that almost all had connections and links to the industry. A second article signed by a similar number of academics with no connection immediately countered their arguments, and said it was unsafe.
At Preston New Road we saw the size of seismic events steadily increased until it got to a level where Cuadrilla stopped drilling. The real issue with seismic events is the possibility of the loss of integrity of well casings which pass through our aquifers and potential fluid migration. Do we really want to increase the limit and allow more seismic events and earthquakes to take place unchecked? In 2011, Cuadrilla’s well at Preece Hall suffered a loss of integrity after shocks of 1.8 and 2.1. According to ‘The Independent’, UK taxpayer’s money, meant to support overseas development, has been spent on supporting the Chinese fracking industry. After drilling 1,000 wells, China has now suspended all fracking in the Sichuan Province after the latest in a number of earthquakes killed two people.
We are being fed information to make it seem as though shale gas will yield massive returns in the UK. In Lancashire, Cuadrilla distributed a video showing gas being burnt in a flare on the site describing it as “significant” and “providing early encouragement”. It later transpired that the volumes were so low they had to feed in propane as a support fuel to light the flare. Were they just desperate to give their investors good news?
INEOS claimed, “readings taken at a fracking site at Tinker Lane near Barnby Moor could be enough to keep the whole country supplied with natural gas for 29 years — the equivalent value of a trillion dollars”. In a recent letter from the Environmental Agency, the Area Director for the East Midlands refers to the Tinker Lane site and states “During the drilling operation IGas have not found the Bowland Shale”. Finding the Bowland Shale is the only way that the levels of gas quoted by INEOS could be realised. Was this another good news story to keep the Investors on board and to maintain any remaining vestiges of credibility the industry may have?
If you want to join the Frack Free Sherwood Forest and Edwinstowe group and assist their campaign against fracking, members meet on the first Monday of the month at 7.30pm in Suite 2 Old Station, High Street, Edwinstowe NG21 9HS.
Pauline Meechan
Frack Free Sherwood Forest and Edwinstowe