North East leads way in future of fracking
THE North East is playing a leading role in an £8million research project into the impacts of fracking in the UK.
Leading the research on the shale gas landscape is Newcastle University’s Richard Davies, Professor of Petroleum Geology, who says the aim is to investigate the public perceptions, hazards, impacts and gas resources associated with fracking.
“Exploiting unconventional hydrocarbon resources through fracking is seen by some as an opportunity – a new source of energy, jobs and tax revenue – and by others as a threat, both to us and the environment,” he said.
“It is very likely that drilling and fracking of shale is about to resume in England for the first time since 2011, when fracking in Lancashire triggered earthquakes.
“Because of this, monitoring both the social and technical aspects of fracking as they evolve over the next few years will be critical if we are to understand future impact and respond quickly if circumstances change.”
Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and Economic & Social Research Council, the project will address five key programme challenges: The evolving shale gas landscape; Shale resource potential in the UK; Transportation of the shale gas from reservoir to surface; Contamination pathways; Socio-economic impacts. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the process of injecting pressurised fluids into drill holes in a bid to create cracks in the deep rock to gain access to natural gas and oil.
Starting as an experiment in 1947, the first commercial operation started two years later in the United States. Large-scale use of fracking in the North Sea started towards the end of the 1970s but on land, the only hydraulic fracturing of shale ever done in the UK was in 2011 when Cuadrilla Resources carried out tests at Preese Hall in Lancashire.
Operations were suspended due to earthquakes being felt near Blackpool in 2011. However, Cuadrilla is now hoping to exploit shale gas from its site at Preston New Road in Lancashire. Prof Davies, who leads ReFINE, an international research consortium on fracking led jointly by Newcastle and Durham Universities, said: “No form of energy is totally safe or lacking any environmental impact and fracking shale for gas is no different.
“We have a good understanding of the impacts of fracking and this has informed our Government’s decision to go ahead, but now that fracking appears to be proceeding, we need to listen to the Earth and people’s concerns and learn from experience.
“Unfortunately, even with all the best science, we cannot fully anticipate what will happen when a fracking operation takes place and, understandably, there are several areas of environmental concern that have been expressed.
“But what the past five years have taught me is that this is not all about science, it’s as much about issues of trust, language and genuine consultation and that will play a key role in this latest project.”
The project will also involve Newcastle University’s Anthony Zito, Professor of Public Policy, and Professors David Manning and Jean Hall.