UK lifts ban on shale gas fracking

The British government on Thursday canceled a endowment for hydraulic fracturing or cracking in the country, Very controversial method Oil and gas extraction Suspended in 2019 By the conservative government at the time, because of the earthquake risk it caused.

«To enhance UK energy securityThe British government today lifted the ban on shale gas production in England,” it can be read in a statement compiled by AFP.

The new prime minister’s chief executive officer, Liz Truss (who is also a conservative) has specified that future drilling license applications will be examined according to “national and global gas needs” and only when “there is support at the local level”.

Environmental advocates claim that hydraulic fracturing (cracking) It causes earthquakes and also carries pollution risks. In addition, according to them, its impact on global energy supplies is minimal.

The government said a scientific report on shale gas extraction commissioned by the government this year and published on Thursday acknowledged there was “limited understanding of British geology and onshore shale resources”.

“Currently, only three hydraulic fracturing test wells have been carried out in the UK,” the CEO explained. Lifting the moratorium “will allow for additional data to be collected, and a better understanding of shale gas resources [del país] And we know how to extract it safely.