UK Might Consider Easing Seismic Activity Regulations For Fracking Sites - Energy Minister

Fakhir Rizvi Published October 09, 2018 | 10:49 PM

The UK government might consider easing regulations regarding seismic activity on fracking sites across the country as more experience is gained in the industry, UK Energy Minister Claire Perry said in a letter obtained by Greenpeace's Unearthed journalism team and released on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th October, 2018) The UK government might consider easing regulations regarding seismic activity on fracking sites across the country as more experience is gained in the industry, UK Energy Minister Claire Perry said in a letter obtained by Greenpeace's Unearthed journalism team and released on Tuesday.

There have been no fracking in the United Kingdom since 2011 after the extraction of gas in the west of the United Kingdom reportedly caused two tremors, magnitude 1.5 and 2.3. However, Cuadrilla gas company announced on Friday that it was about to open a fracking site in northwest England.

In her letter to lawmaker Kevin Hollinrake, Perry said that the regulations had been "set at an explicitly cautious level but, as we gain experience in applying these measures, the trigger levels can be adjusted upwards without compromising the effectiveness of the controls," as quoted by the team's official website.

Hollinrake, in turn, told Unearthed that he would not support such a proposal.

"At this point in time I think we need to know a lot more before I'd support that position. The Traffic Light System is there for a reason. To be fair to this government and the responsible approach I think we do take to oil and gas exploration, we haven't fracked for seven years as a result so clearly we do take this seriously," the lawmaker was quoted as saying by the website.

According to the existing rules, fracking should proceed with caution if seismic sensors register any tremors below a 0.5-magnitued threshold and it should be immediately suspended if 0.5-magnitude tremors are recorded.

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is used to extract gas or oil from underneath rocks deep in the ground by injecting "fracking fluid" into the rock and forcing it to crack and allow the fuel to come up.