Gas 'Fracking' To Restart Amid Quake Fears

Just found this on Yahoo in the Uk !

Before I clicked on the link, I actually thought it releated to the U.S, "They're coming clean !" I thought to myself.

Erm.....No, this is Fracking in the England, call me naive, but I didn't realise we had it going on.

Anyway, what I found most interesting.....

A controversial gas drilling operation that triggered earthquakes in Britain is set to be restarted but with tighter controls on the process.

What an opener The article goes on to say....

One of the provisos is that even a tremor too small to be noticed above ground should result in an immediate shutdown, with compulsory remedial action before a resumption of drilling.

I could find more to whet your appetite, but it really isn't a long article, and the video attached is about 30 seconds.

Link to Article

So anybody else surprised by this ?

For me it looks like there is an indication that perhaps, there is a correllation between fracking, and earthquakes.

I have to be honest, I haven't entirely followed the stateside stuff on this, so I don't know if the same is true in the states, with regards to mainstream articles, so it would be great to hear if this is the case over there.

But from what I have gathered on here, I thought it was conjecture.

Just read this too, also remember the articles in the news about this causing quakes. I honestly thought it was going to stop for good. I guess they are not satisfied with the amount of quakes mother earth is giving us already so think they should add to it.

Bloody ridiculous to be honest

reply to post by solargeddon


This got a good bit of coverage in the UK today.

It has been absolutely been confirmed that Fracking causes earthquakes. It has been confirmed in the US and now in the UK.

A panel of experts has said a controversial method of gas extraction which triggered two earth tremors near Blackpool last year should continue under strict regulations.

news.bbc.co.uk...

I thought it was pretty funny. They cause earthquakes but they just have to be a little more careful when fracking.

It boils down to the fact that when money is involved it does not matter a damn what you think should happen. If money can be made nobody cares. Its that simple.

You have to wonder what else people get up to can eventually lead to earthquakes. Like if you are pulling a load of oil out of the ground surely that will have an impact? No?

This planet is going to hell very quickly. Its too late to try and get people to see sense. Its all about the money and as a result we are all totally buggered.

Yeah there's been fracking going on near me up in Blackpool - I'm hoping they'll open a big chasm and Blackpool will be swallowed up, the place is a cesspit!

Fracking caused Blackpool earthquakes

reply to post by solargeddon

I don't know anything much about seismology or geology but I do wonder if an earthquake has any heat or spark generating properties with all that shaking and friction going on. Just a passing thought.

Holland has gasfields and they regularly cause 1.x and 2.x earthquakes in the Groningen area. It is the largest natural gas field in Europe apparently and the 10th largest in the world. So why does natural gas cost so much here? And maybe this is why Holland is really under sea level, they have been deflating the ground too much.
Source

reply to post by lacrimaererum


Did you see the vid ?

There is a bit on the vid, with flames coming out of the plug hole !

Don't think they "frack" down my way........yet

I saw it on the news this morning. There are going to be several sites in addition to the one in Blackpool and there is also one planned for Northern Ireland.

I have several concerns about this - the pollution of underground water tables and the enviroment, the risks of the gas entering pipes and homes and the risk of triggering earthquakes.

Shale gas drilling operations increase the risk of nearby drinking water becoming contaminated with methane, a study has suggested...
"We found some extremely high concentrations of methane: 64 milligrams of methane per litre of drinking water, compared with a normal level of one milligram or lower," Professor Jackson observed.

Source Shale gas drilling 'contaminates drinking water'

Much of the water used in fracking is collected from the well and processed, but there are concerns that potentially carcinogenic chemicals can sometimes escape and find their way into drinking water sources. Some American householders also claim that shale gas leaking into their drinking supply causes tap water to ignite.

However, Tim Yeo MP - chairman of the energy select committee - told the BBC: "We can't see any evidence that UK water supplies might be at risk from shale gas - if it is done properly." The committee has also said that environmental problems suffered in the US could be overcome by tight regulation and good industry practice.

Highlighted text mine.
Source What is fracking and why is it controversial?

The committee has also said that environmental problems suffered in the US could be overcome by tight regulation and good industry practice? - well that's OK then, I feel so much better knowing that.

The UK currently has a low risk of big earthquakes, usually having them so small they go un-noticed. With the fracking replacing our natural deposits of shale gas with a mix of chemicals and changing the geology will this increase the risk of quakes?

An independent geological report has found that it is "highly probable" a controversial technique to extract gas, known as fracking, triggered two minor earthquakes on the Lancashire coast earlier this year.

Source What is fracking and why is it controversial?

And a last thought - regarding the recent sonic boom threads - one of my initial thoughts were that they had started fracking in the UK.


More BBC links
Fracking: Concerns over gas extraction regulations
Fracking contamination downplayed
Center on Global Change at Duke University - Shale gas papers

Fracking to restart

Well operator Cuadrilla Resources estimates that the Bowland Basin prospect site in Lancashire contains as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of gas. Even if only a fraction of this can be extracted, it still represents a very significant energy resource.

On April 1 and May 27 last year, two small earthquakes - of magnitude 2.3 and 1.5 - occurred in the Blackpool area.

No damage was caused, although a number of people called the police to report shaking. After a second tremor was linked to fracking, operation of the Cuadrilla exploration well was halted...

Dr Baptie said Cuadrilla recorded a total of 50 fracking-induced tremors at its drilling site, including the two that were felt by people living nearby and several 0.5 magnitude events.

Nothing matters on this planet anymore except selfishness, gluttony and pure greed. It's dog eat dog and every man for himself.

They really don't care if fracking is a risk to the planet and everything on it. What makes me angry is that this is OUR planet too, and those of us who do care don't have an opportunity to do anything to stop them. Sure we can protest, but giving in to protesters doesn't make them any money, so they carry on regardless while attempting to appease us with an insincere 'we'll be careful'.

So it continues. And it always will.

The sooner they blow this planet to kingdom come the better, I hate being forced to live on it amongst such vile people.

some time i think america wants a earthquake

Wonder if Heysham 1 & 2 felt any of these fracking tremors?.

I was shocked by 2 comments made on TV news this morning about this subject.
Please don't quote me on this as I can't remember the exact words, but they went along the lines of:

Comment 1:
The quakes are nothing to be worried about, they are not strong enough to make houses fall down.

Comment 2:
We will be monitoring the small quakes and so we can prevent bigger ones !!!!

.... and these are from the so-called experts. What a bunch of (insert naughty words here)

reply to post by Plumbduff


Of course we trust them to look out for us, not.

What happens if they miss the big ones and dont prevent them and the quakes damage homes etc who will be to blame? What do the insurers say?