Shale gas drilling site [image credit: BBC]
After years of wrangling, the UK (or at least England) seems to have at last run out of ways to avoid tapping in to the wealth that is the gas under the nation’s feet, in this case anyway. Why import what can be produced at home?
H/T The GWPF
Shale gas developer Cuadrilla on Tuesday became the first operator in Britain to receive final consent from the government to frack an onshore horizontal exploration well, reports Reuters.
The government said it had granted approval for so-called hydraulic fracturing to take place at Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site in northwest England.
“I have carefully considered Cuadrilla’s application and I am content that hydraulic fracturing consent should be granted in this instance,” Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said in a statement.
Cuadrilla submitted its application for consent in May.
Hydraulic fracturing consent was introduced in 2015 as an additional step to the government’s regulatory and permitting regime and ensures all necessary environmental, health and safety permits have been obtained.
Fracking involves perforating wells and fracturing rocks by injecting liquids, sands and chemicals to suck in oil and gas. It has transformed the U.S. energy industry but has not taken off across Europe, where some countries have banned it.
In Britain, there have been protests by environmentalists and local residents against fracking amid concerns it could contaminate underground water reservoirs and harm the environment above ground.
Cuadrilla welcomed the government’s decision.
Source here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
An outbreak of common sense?
Whatever next?
CHEERS!!.
Hopefully, beneath the absurdity of the recent government press release there is an element of common sense. Just wonder how the pendulum will swing in the future.
Despite all the lies and propaganda. I am on the emailing list of a Left-wing activist group – I can’t remember how, but I find it interesting to see what is being said about issues. The email from them said:
“Imagine huge trucks and heavy machinery rumbling past your children’s school, your favourite picnic spot being destroyed, or even hearing experts warn your area could experience an earthquake. Fracking, a controversial way of getting gas out of the ground, could make all this a reality.
Think this sounds bad? Well the government don’t. They’ve just published their plans to fast-track fracking, bypassing local democracy. They want to make it easier for toxic energy companies to test for gas and get full scale fracking off the ground, without giving local people a say in the decision.”
I especially like the use of the word “controversial” as if somehow the controversy is nt being entirely manufactured by the people claiming it is controversial. It’s like the Remainers who have don all they can to create chaos now blaming Brexit for chaos.
Over half of Britain’s grid electricity is being generated by gas at the time of this comment.
Gotta love the verbal Diarrhoea from Reuters
“Fracking involves perforating wells and fracturing rocks by injecting liquids, sands and chemicals …”
As if liquids and sands aren’t chemicals.
Ah yes, that brand new never seen before entirely unproven technology of fracking /sarc; :
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/The-Real-History-Of-Fracking.html
Nowadays it’s the anti-frackers trying to torpedo economic progress.
“Quick! to the windows!! The porcine Air Force will be overhead any minute.”