Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. The process can be carried out vertically or, more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer, which can create new pathways to release gas or used to extend existing channels. The term fracking refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high-pressure mixture. Drilling for shale gas is still at an exploratory phase. However, reserves of shale gas have been identified across large swathes of the UK , particularly in northern England.
More than licences have been awarded by the government, allowing firms to pursue a range of oil and gas exploration activities in certain areas. Before companies can begin fracking they must also receive planning permission from the relevant local council. Cuadrilla faced legal challenges before it could begin drilling at its Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire. Applications have also been submitted in Yorkshire , Nottinghamshire and for a second site in Lancashire.
However, Cuadrilla is the only company to receive final consent from the government to begin fracking. Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all said they will oppose fracking until further research is completed into its environmental impact.
In , Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool after earthquakes of 1. A subsequent study found it was "highly probable" that shale gas test drilling triggered the tremors. A government-appointed panel said there could be more tremors as a result of fracking, but they will be too small to do structural damage above ground.
It recommended greater monitoring and said operators should observe a "traffic light" regime, with tremors of magnitude 0. Thank You! Join the movement to save our wildlands.
Email Address. Become a Member Renew Your Membership. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Terms of Use. In places such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Colorado, the drilling rigs have popped up near where people have their homes, diminishing the quality of life and creating an industrial feel to some of our communities.
This is poor planning at best, and sheer greed at its worst. It seldom involves the preferences of the local residents. It is the opposite of a sustainable solution, as well production tends to drop sharply after initial fracking. Within just five years, wells may produce just 10 percent of what they did in the first month of operation. It is a giant unfunded scheme. ISSUE: Fracking wells, drilled thousands of feet down, may change geology in a potentially negative way, leading to earthquakes.
Starting in , when shale gas and other unconventional energy sources began to grow, the rate rose steadily to [approximately] such earthquakes annually, with in alone. It is just not smart policy to go headlong first — at massive scale — and only later discover the consequences.
John Wihbey, a writer, educator, and researcher, is an assistant professor of journalism at Northeastern University and a correspondent for Boston Globe Ideas. Previously, he was an assistant director More by John Wihbey. Air quality, health, and the energy menu ISSUE: The new supply of natural gas reachable by fracking is now changing the overall picture for U. Fracking in Pennsylvania, Marcellus Shale,. Fayetteville Shale, Arkansas.
John Wihbey. Fracking has already helped to create more than 2. In communities where fracking occurs, the unemployment rate is, on average, 2. And, for every job created in the fracking industry, there are between one and three jobs added to other sectors. In addition to helping you save more money at the pump, fracking can also help you save on your energy bills at home. Even with a booming economy and a low unemployment rate, many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet.
And believe it or not, fracking has made it easier. Not only does fracking help to create jobs and save Americans money, but it also helps to increase wages in the United States.
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