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The United Kingdom announced on Saturday, November 2, the suspension of hydraulic shale gas fracking for fear of seismic shocks at the Preston New Road site in northwestern Lancashire. A decision taken, with immediate effect, following the alarming report of the British Authority for Oil and Gas.
Boris Johnson's government has turned around after touting the benefits of the hydraulic fracture, a costly process for extracting shale gas and oil from the basement. The United Kingdom had also supported this technique in order to be less dependent on gas imports from Norway and Qatar. These are used to heat 80% of British homes.
However, the report of the sector gendarme, the Gas and Oil Authority (OGA), on seismic hazards at the Preston New Road site in northwestern England, is without appeal. The suspension of hydraulic fracturing is a victory for environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, who have mobilized massively against such a technique. And for good reason.
Last August, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake shook homes on a site of British energy group Cuadrilla in northern England. Other earthquakes occurred before that and the United Kingdom resumed hydraulic fracturing only in 2018 after seven years of interruption following a moratorium.
Three years ago, the government planned to open 20 wells until 2020. Since then, only three wells have been drilled to date and no shale gas exploitation has begun.
►Also read: When the exploitation of shale gas causes earthquakes