Is fracking to begin in North Yorkshire?
A small scale energy organisation has recently applied to utilise the controversial configuration of fracking gas in the UK. They are reported at present to be only the second energy company within Britain to submit an application. The site proposed is located near the small market town of Pickering, North Yorkshire.
As you may well imagine this has caused rather a stir amongst local residents with a multitude of protestors voicing their concern at the presents of such a site. Local resident Chris Redston produced an interview with his local paper whereby ‘We will be vigorously opposing the application’. As warranted Friends of the Earth spoke out against the scheme backed surprisingly by Barclays Bank, however the energy company expressed they were certain that they could exercise the procedure in a safe and correct manner. That being said with oil prices at an all time low, their return may not be as originally projected.
Local Planning officials are said to be considering whether to approve the application over the next 13 weeks. The energy firm suggest that throughout the testing phase whereby they will have to physically drill into the rock to calculate the scale of the operation that electricity would be produced at a close by gas fired power station. Although if noteworthy amounts were discovered it would be sold onto the national grid.
Operations director of the firm said ‘We are aware that the gas is present, however it is only when physically hydraulically stimulating the rock can we calculated the possibilities of the gas flow and volume that it could create.’ The company claims it’s held a 20 year past of low key exercise within North Yorkshire and insist it will continue to do so.
Fracking, would you be content with it occurring nearby your home? It’s an extremely controversial procedure with many opposing it and many urging to fast track planning laws. One things for certain what ever the decision it needs to be made realistically between money hungry businessman, green eco warriors but most importantly local residents. As the conservatives have retained their UK government position they confirmed that they would continue to hand local residents ultimate power whether to block on shore windfarm programs. Is it possible they could do the same with fracking locations?
The British Geological survey undertaken on shale gas in 2013 outlined that a footprint extending from Lancashire to Yorkshire and even down to Lincolnshire may be holding a minimum of 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas. Although employing the fracking technology to discharge the gas has demonstrated rather leisurely mainly due to a combination of planning hold ups and protests from environmentalist campaigners voicing their concern over safety, climate change bearings and ultimately using america as an example of what could go wrong. There has been many highlighted incidents over contamination within the grounds surrounding sites with even reports of dead fish washing up on shores.
There are even a handful of larger energy firms turning their heads to the UK as a potential lucrative venture. For example a swiss based group Ineos which is the owner of a refinery located in Scotland whom have the desire to replicate the US based shale regime, which initially assisted in slashing local energy costs. It was rumoured back in November 2014 that the group were willing to invest just under £650m into fracking schemes across the UK, with the firm belief of becoming the UK’s larges shale gas contender. The firm even suggested that shale gas could resuscitate Britain's long lost manufacturing, something which was a significant implement in the growth of the UK around the world.
Thats all well and said however with the expense of oil supposedly halved in recent months and the addition of gas also made more competitively available this has had a domino effect on a handful of shale companies based in America. There has even been numerous bankruptcies over recent months with investors concerned over testing times ahead.
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