What is fracking and is it safe?

Fracking has been thrust – unwillingly – into the limelight as the safety and environmental impacts of drilling deep into the ground to release shale gas have been questioned. The process has been blamed for two small earthquakes in Lancashire, and residents in Wales and New York are concerned the chemicals used in the process could contaminate their drinking water. Fracking involves drilling a deep hole into an area containing natural gas and pumping high pressure water into it to release trapped shale gas, which can then be pumped away. The controversial technique has been given a clean bill of health by Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne, who has insisted that the process is already subject to robust controls.

The Commons Energy Select Committee has also backed the procedure, arguing that Britain could have considerable reserves of shale gas that could be exploited to reduce the country’s reliance on energy imports. It is thought the reserves comparable to the North Sea gas may be stored in the rocks deep underground – worth a staggering £70 billion.

But fracking is banned in France, and New York and Pennsylvania in the US – and there must be a reason why.

Caudrilla Resources have been drilling for samples near Blackpool – this well is the first in Western Europe dedicated to drilling for shale gas alone. After two small earthquakes in the area, the company suspended operations to investigate any possible connections between their drilling and seismic activity.

MPs in the area have demanded a thorough scientific investigation by government scientists to examine the possible risks – and benefits – of fracking.

In Wales, exploratory drilling for sampling and testing in the lab has begun in the north-west of Maesteg in the Vale of Glamorgan. Residents are calling for the Welsh Government to form policy on shale gas exploration, with the Welsh Government welcoming the opportunity to work with the UK government on a framework.

Residents say drilling will be a short-term fix with long-term consequences. Louise Evans of Vale Says No says: “The risks involved are huge. We’re not calling for a halt. We’re calling for a moratorium for the government to undertake necessary environmental and economic impact studies so they know what they’re letting themselves in for.”

Exploratory drilling is also taking place in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, and if tests come back positive, it’s likely fracking could begin here, although Methane UK – who are undertaking the drilling – say there are no plans for this at the moment.

Resident John Ryves is concerned the process will destroy an area of natural beauty: “The thing I’m most concerned about is the process is quite brutal. When you are drilling a few thousand feet underground and pumping in chemicals it’s rather hit and miss.”

And it’s these chemicals which are causing quite a stir – various chemicals are added to the high pressure water used to release the gas. Caudrilla Resources say they only add four or five chemicals to the water: hydrochloric acid to open up perforations in the rock; polyacrylamide, a non-toxic friction reducer; and a biocide to treat the water. They say the chemicals only make up a tiny proportion of the liquid used.

However, in Texas, over 600 chemicals are used along with sand. Energy firms are now required by law to publish a list of the chemicals they use during fracking. Until recently, the industry had refused, claiming they would be revealing trade secrets, but this led to mistrust and the idea that the chemicals could be contaminating local water supplies.

Critics say leaks of the chemicals at the surface endanger groundwater and that drilling pollutes the air, but industry officials say opponents have exaggerated the environmental impacts and the economic benefits would be significant.

Residents in the Mendips are concerned chemicals will reach reservoirs – and drinking water supplies – as are residents in Lancashire. Actors in America have gone as far as to film an online protest video titled I love my New York water – stop fracking with it.

Interestingly, New York – home to a large piece of the Marcellus Shale believed to be one of the richest natural gas deposits – has moved a step closer towards fracking, being very careful to protect the city’s drinking water.

The Department of Environmental Conservation has recommended to Governor Andrew Cuomo to lift a moratorium on fracking – the recommendations could become law after a 60-day period of public comment and an environmental impact statement.

The agency has recommended no drilling should take place in the watersheds serving New York and Syracuse, and banned it within primary aquifers. Surface drilling will be prohibited on state-owned land including parks, forest areas and wildlife management areas.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has praised the decision, while Manhattan Democrat Sheldon Silver wants drilling to wait until the Environmental Protection Agency has finished its review – expected in 2014.

“There are simply too many unknowns to risk inflicting long-term, potentially catastrophic damage to New York’s environment and water supply,” he said.

It’s clear that there is no consensus on if the economic benefits, or the environmental impacts, as such it certainly seems fracking needs a lot more investigation before we cash in.

Author: Kerry Taylor Smith - Staff Writer, Laboratory News