UK shale hunt ‘over-hyped and 55 million years too late’

THE rise of the UK’S nascent shale industry is “over-hyped” and 55 million years too late, according to research into the UK’S geology.

A team of scientists have warned that the UK’S most promising shale gas reservoirs have been warped by tectonic shifts millions of years ago which could thwart efforts to tap the gas reserves trapped within.

Prof John Underhill at Heriot-watt University said: “Both sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate assume that the geology is a ‘slam dunk’ and it will work if exploration drilling goes ahead … but the science shows that our country’s geology is simply unsuitable for shale oil and gas production. The implication that because fracking works in the US it must also work here is wrong.”

UK gas companies including Cuadrilla, Igas and Third Energy have already ploughed millions into developing sites that contain potentially huge reservoirs of natural gas. However, the research shows that these shale zones are fraught with geological quirks, which could limit gas recovery.

“The inherent complexity of the sedimentary basins has not been fully appreciated or articulated and, as a result, the opportunity has been overhyped,” Prof Underhill said.

The report shows that the Weald Basin, where Igas plans to explore, was left “deformed” by an arch-like tectonic fold defined by its steeply dipping chalk ridges that form the North and South Downs. Meanwhile, in the Bowland shale basin in Lancashire where Cuadrilla is active, there was a separate period of geological deformation about 290 million years ago.

Mark Lappin, Cuadrilla’s technical director, said the purpose of the company’s drilling campaign was to “better understand the reserve, reduce speculation from all sides, and decide if and how to develop it”.

Ken Cronin, head of the UK’S onshore oil and gas association, added: “It is too early to make any firm predictions, but with imported gas predicted to rise to 80pc by 2035 it is important that we get on and complete this work.”

The Government is hoping a domestic onshore gas industry could reduce the country’s reliance on imports.