The climate minister has told MPs the government is reviewing regulations on fracking-induced earthquakes.
Graham Stuart was replying this week to a series of written questions from Labour and Lib Dem MPs.
Labour’s Alex Norris, asked about whether any new legislation on fracking would include a traffic light system for monitoring seismic events caused by fracking.
Mr Stuart replied:
“The Government is reviewing this aspect of shale gas policy as part of a wider reflection on the most appropriate regulatory regime for the industry.”
Labour’s Rachael Maskell asked whether the Department of Busines, Energy and Climate Change would set a limit on acceptable levels of seismic events potentially caused by fracking.
The minister gave an identical reply.
In his answers, Mr Stuart repeated that the “government expected industry to work closely with local communities in order to build support for new developments”.
He also repeated comments made last week to the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) that domestic gas would help achieve UK carbon cuts.
The minister said in a response to Labour’s Charlotte Nichols:
“Domestic gas typically has less than half the production emissions of imported LNG and, therefore, when substituted for imports, contributes to the UK’s carbon emission reduction goals.”
Two professors, Paul Ekins and Peter Newell, have described as “extraordinary” the minister’s claims at the EAC that fracking was good for the environment.
In a letter to the Guardian, they said:
“Mr Stuart’s claim about the supposed lower carbon intensity of UK oil and gas extraction pales into insignificance compared with the carbon implications of adding to overall extraction of fossil fuels, and flies in the face of the warning by the International Energy Agency that no new oil, gas or coal development can take place if the world is to reach net zero by 2050.”
They also said new UK oil and gas would lock in dependency on infrastructure that would become increasingly useless. On fracking they said the government had introduced a moratorium because of the challenges of extracting it safely.
Questions and answers
Question by Alex Norris, Labour, Nottingham North
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential inclusion of a traffic light monitoring system for seismic activity at wells to be included in any forthcoming legislation of fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
The Government is reviewing this aspect of shale gas policy as part of a wider reflection on the most appropriate regulatory regime for the industry.
Question by Charlotte Nichols, Labour, Warrington North
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential environmental impact of lifting the moratorium on fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
Development of shale gas needs to meet rigorous safety and environmental standards set by regulators including the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the North Sea Transition Authority.
Domestic gas typically has less than half the production emissions of imported LNG and, therefore, when substituted for imports, contributes to the UK’s carbon emission reduction goals.
Question by Rachael Maskell, Labour, York Central
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the geological evidence that informed his proposal to end the moratorium on fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
The Government is grateful to the British Geological Survey for their review of the science related to seismic events induced by hydraulic fracturing for shale gas exploration. The report ‘Recent scientific advances in the understanding of induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing of shales’ has been received and carefully considered, and published on the Government website.
Question by Rachael Maskell, Labour, York Central
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the government’s new strategy on fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
The invasion of Ukraine and the resulting restrictions on gas supply across Europe has emphasised the need for home grown sources of energy to reduce our reliance on imports. The Government has been clear about this need and will continue to work with stakeholders including industry, expert regulators and communities to understand how developments can gain the support of local communities, contribute to the energy security of the UK and be consistent with our commitments to reduce emissions and protect the environment.
Question by Rachael Maskell, Labour, York Central
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government will take steps to ensure community consent prior to the establishment of fracking sites in (a) York and (b) England.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
The Government expects industry to work closely with local communities in order to build support for new developments.
Question by Rachael Maskell, Labour, York Central
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department will set a limit on acceptable levels of seismic shocks potentially caused by fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 17 October 2022
The Government is reviewing this aspect of shale gas policy as part of a wider reflection on the most appropriate regulatory regime for the industry.
Question by Jessica Morden, Labour, Newport East
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government’s decision to lift the ban on fracking will also apply to land within National Parks.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 18 October 2022
Restrictions set out in the Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing Regulations 2015 and in licence conditions ensure that shale gas extraction will not be permitted in wells drilled from National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Specific Scientific Interest.
Question by Helen Morgan, Lib Dem, North Shropshire
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to assess levels of local consent for fracking.
Reply by Graham Stuart, climate minister, 18 October 2022
The Government expects industry to work closely with local communities in order to build support for new developments.
DRILL OR DROP? 
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will answer the questions and stop deflecting?
jono, oh educate yourself dear!
Explain, please, Eli-Goth.
Calling all CONSERVATIVE MP’s
On Wednesday the Labour Party will put forward a motion , which if passed , would guarantee time in the Commons for a bill to ban the controversial gas extraction technique ( Fracking ) for good.
STAND with your friends , other Conservatives MP’s , who intend to vote for the bill .
STAND with local Councils who have opposed Fracking.
STAND with the majority of the British public who oppose Fracking.
Let’s finally bury this proven toxic , environmentally damaging, climate changing, dangerous to human and animal health industry . Which greatly devalues homes in Fracking areas and leaves future generations with a toxic , financial burden .
Also remember, Fracking companies are NOT charities …….. Fracking will NOT reduce UK consumers energy bills …. Any gas produced will be sold on the world market to the highest bidder.
Be on the right side of history and say NO TO UK FRACKING.
https://news.sky.com/story/labour-calls-on-tories-to-seize-opportunity-to-ban-fracking-once-and-for-all-12723775
Why should energy companies who invest in infrastructure etc, discount energy? Do Amazon, Google, Sky, BBC, give you discounted services for your money?, give your self a shake jack!
What on earth are you talking about, Eli-Goth. Your utterances become more gnomic day by day.
Hmm, well I guess Eli-Goth is saying energy companies should be free to sell gas for the best price. That’s generally the way human enterprise works best. Or, to put it another way, if you impose restrictions (which change with the political wind) then they’re likely not to accept the risk of investment. Do we want investment or not? But the idea that all the new gas will flow out of the UK is a misdirection anyway. The shortage is HERE. The high prices are HERE. Maybe we export some to Europe (as we currently export LNG to them), but that is to our national economic advantage, is it not?
Which “world” market Jack? The one in Holland where gas was trading at $47 per MMBtu or the one in USA where it was trading at $7-and the Americans were moaning it was too expensive and that exports should be curtailed to ease their prices back towards $4!
Meanwhile, I notice there are two more Profs. who failed arithmetic. PRODUCING gas in UK against IMPORTING gas does NOT increase global PRODUCTION of gas. Perhaps it would just mean a smaller number of wells being drilled and fracked in USA and then the gas converted to LNG-expensively-and shipped across the Atlantic with the environment consequences that produces.
Interesting that so many fallacies can be repeated in an effort to make them seem correct. They are not. They are still fallacies no matter how many times they are repeated. One would start to think that there must be an absence of accurate points to present.
MARTIN and ELI
Does this NOT bother you ?????.
Fracking caused DAILY EARTHQUAKES at UK’s only active site
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/19/fracking-caused-daily-earthquakes-at-uks-only-active-site
Why Jack? Has fracking elsewhere produced daily earthquakes?
So, maybe more fracking in UK would fit within the millions of wells with no seismic activity compared to the one that the Guardian focuses upon. I would not expect the Guardian to consider the millions of wells Jack, and I would expect there would be somebody like yourself who would do the same. However, where do you and the Guardian think LNG will come from for Europe this winter, and next?
Geothermal in Cornwall resulted in seismic hiccups too, Jack. Yet, Third Energy are praised for readjusting from fracking for gas to geothermal! The outcome was the same. The only difference is the hysteria, and a failure with arithmetic.
MARTIN ,
YOU DONT KNOW about the daily earthquakes caused by Cuadrilla , because YOU DONT live there .
OR when trying to dispute the daily earthquakes at Cuadrillas Fracking site in Lancashire , are you now going to say you live there , or know someone who does to back up your wild Off-The-Cuff comments ???? 😅🤣😅
[Typo corrected at poster’s request]
So, Jack, you avoided the question-again!
Par for the course. You plonk out some nonsense and when it is shown to be nonsense off you go into some strange fantasy.
Come on Jack, the question was simple. There have been millions of wells fracked. Have there been daily “earthquakes” at those wells? Well, there will have been if the monitoring was sensitive enough as that is what the fracking process is supposed to achieve! Similarly, if monitoring was done next to the Underground in London similar would be recorded-daily.
By the way, Jack, you don’t live in there either (Lancashire) so does that disqualify you, with your wild comments? Or your wild comments about Chesapeake Energy?
GEEEE WIZZ MARTIN ,
You really haven’t got a clue have you ?????
First let’s clear up one thing , you talk about ” millions of wells fracked ”
In the UK , Fracking for shale gas has only happened in one place and there it caused strong earthquakes .
In the USA , the home of Fracking , earthquakes have been happening in MORE PLACES than you can ” shake a stick at ” ( pun intended )
In fact TEXAS , has just WON the prestigious award of becoming the earthquake capital of the USA . How about that for a wonderful achievement ?????????
Fracking Boom Turns Texas Into the Earthquake Capital of the U.S.
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-permian-basin-earthquakes/
OH and MARTIN , do you REALLY want to give the readers another laugh at your expense , WELL DO YOU ???????? I will be delighted to cut and paste for the 100th time my comments on the huge White Elephant, otherwise know as Chesapeake Energy .
[Typo corrected at poster’s request]
You can cut and paste whatever you want Jack. However, in respect of Chesapeake Energy it will be a repeat of nonsense you cut and pasted before, that did not and does not define the company as a huge White Elephant. I recall, the same company suddenly was referred to as making a fortune and now has returned to being a huge White Elephant-all from Jack’s keyboard. Yet, the analysts in USA who are the “experts” Jack, that you feel should always be believed, feel it is a very exciting and profitable company with a strong future!
You also seem to have forgotten your own claim that readers ignore your posts, Jack!
Well, if anyone doesn’t, they have a search engine and they can do the research you failed to do Jack and save you the job of cutting and pasting again. They may find your own alternative utterance of making a fortune points towards a Golden Goose rather that a White Elephant.
🤣🤣 OK MARTIN 🤣🤣
HERE WE GO AGAIN
I hope your taking this in , because I’m getting SICK and TIRED of cutting and pasting the same thing , over and over again .
It seems that you really do enjoy , Jack endlessly repeating the same things to you .
Regarding Chesapeake Energy , I said , quote,
During ” normal ” oil prices Chesapeake Energy was a HUGE debt ridden, toxic, white elephant . With unsupportable debts of $9 BILLION …
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/29/chesapeake-energy-fracking-pioneer-files-for-bankruptcy-owing-9bn
Now , at this time , during the current conflict with Russia, the very costly process of Fracking in the USA may be able to keep its head above the water line , but then so can anyone in the Oil and Gas industry.
I could extract Oil from discarded human toenail clippings and become an overnight success during these uncertain times. Anybody who can’t make money at this moment in time , in the Oil and Gas industry is beyond stupid and shouldn’t be in the business.
BUT , what the forum members need to consider is this ….. What happens when this war is over and the price of Oil and Gas stabilize again??????? What happens as the world moves away from Fossil fuels ???????
The answer for the Fracking industry is simple…………HUGE DEBTS , BANKRUPTCIES, and costly toxic legacies will be left for the ” good old taxpayers “, financial institutions, banks and pension fund investment companies to shoulder.
Just look at American shale debt over 15 years .
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/US-Shale-Has-Lost-300-Billion-In-15-Years.html
And you think this is a good thing for the UK , do you ???????
Except Jack you tried to incorporate that 2020-the height of the pandemic-was normality for this particular company, when it was anything but!
I knew you could not resist. Well done. Goodness knows what problems you would have after receiving a caution! “Well, officer, it was normal that I drank 10 pints a night before I drove my taxi!”
Do I enjoy your repeats? Nope, but as that is all you offer, I accept that is the routine.
When the war is over and prices stabilize? When will that be, Jack, and why would they? All of a sudden the world will say, okay Mr. Putin let’s go back to where things were, as soon as the pipelines are repaired, and supplies of gas will be increased? Sorry Jack, I will follow the information from Aramco that once the world economies restart there will be a shortage of oil production capacity. I do listen to them, but not to you when you post such unfounded speculation without anything but wishful thinking.
What may stabilize prices is if the frackers ramp up even more! OPEC+ are not going to be too accommodating, so salvation from the frackers to stabilize prices. Ironic! (Although I wouldn’t rely too much on that, as after the midterms I suspect a lot more pressure will be put on getting US prices stabilized by the US public, and they may not be too bothered about stabilizing prices elsewhere.)
MARTIN ,
Do you really want JACK to ” cut and paste ” our comments , regarding what was said between us , concerning the year 2020.
Well do you ??????
I really do admire your ongoing attempt to provide the readers with some light entertainment , but please don’t be so hard on yourself… Endlessly using yourself as the ” fall guy ” is not necessary .
Hahahaha… ‘the guardian’ don’t insult our intelligence, there used to be a time when journalism meant something! ahummmm!
HAHA ELI-GOTH ,
With your great pearls of knowledge , we await your thoughts on this serious report
From the world famous, ” YALE ” SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH .
Proximity to fracking sites associated with risk of CHILDHOOD CANCER
https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/17/proximity-fracking-sites-associated-risk-childhood-cancer
Do you not care about the health and safety of children ???????
Educate yourself jack!
Fracking did not exist back in 3000 BC.
Humans probably were never deemed to last the world over, we are just a species similar to all the species extinct over the last 65 million years…
https://amp.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/history-of-cancer/what-is-cancer.html
“ PRODUCING gas in UK against IMPORTING gas does NOT increase global PRODUCTION of gas. ” (Martin)
Notwithstanding the shouting, (capitals), this point has been answered ad nauseam, most recently on October 16th
“We are constantly reminded – as here – that Colly-arithmetic (like Trussonomics) requires, to work, the necessary suppression of one of the two elements of a calculation. This is a sine qua non: without it traditional arithmetic (or economics) continue to apply, eg one centre of pollution plus another = two sources of pollution.) “
Here the crucial word is “against”, the semantic significance of which the writer assumes we will not notice as he has avoided shouting it.
Remain vigilant.
Let’s hope that the Commons vote today places this toxic industry out of reach in the U.K., and perhaps by example elsewhere, for the FF companies still wooing us with sporting bribes – see Aramco and cricket.
laith: are you trying to say that producing and exporting to another country is ‘reducing’ carbon footprint and good for the environment??
Nope, it has not been answered, 1720. There have been attempts to put up a smoke screen but no answer.
Meanwhile, you should listen to Aramco when they warn that current world output capacity for oil is insufficient to meet global demand when global demand restarts. Why? Oh yes, exploration was cut dramatically during the pandemic. All too soon without effective alternatives available to replace. So, enjoy the fact Brent is around $90/barrel and inflation is only around 10% and await Brent at $120/barrel. Aramco are quite happy. They know oil will return to higher prices as countries like China fire back into life. The modern- day Nero’s will continue to fiddle away whilst the world dives into recession and then blame someone else. Biden will threaten to release more reserves onto the market to try and squeeze the oil price lower, except he may find it has little impact and he should save such gestures until oil is back higher! Goodness, he suffers the same misconception that valves are non- existent. Sign him up to the fallacy tribe. Others can join-like the ones who pushed a drive to diesel when UK had very limited capacity to produce diesel. Now diesel is up to 20p/liter dearer than petrol in UK! With many deliveries of other goods relying on diesel.
There really is no shortage of clowns around.
ELI-GOTH 🤣🍺
I raise my glass to you with laughter .
YES , I agree , ” Fracking did not exist back in 3000 BC. ”
I didn’t see that side splitter coming , thank you 🤣
WHATS YOUR POINT ?????
Whilst I have your attention, what are your thoughts on the serious , proven health problems , associated with living close to a Fracking site ??????
https://www.center4research.org/fracking-your-health/
I suspect much of what modern humans have done to improve standard of life is toxic in some way. But I think the greatest problem is that we are encouraged to live in fear and division, which produce a constant background level of ill health. Few seem able to engage with “the other side of the argument” without either assuming hostile intent and responding in the same tone. Thus we don’t see the whole picture. And currently that picture for the UK and Europe is one of increasing energy scarcity, with far reaching consequences. Renewables cannot be the only answer, being much less reliable and far more expensive than touted, not to mention the fact they need huge quantities of materials and existing energy to manufacture. I don’t think people realise how dependent we are on energy, and how much we either 1) need to develop reliable new supply or 2) need to cut back consumption. It’s not just about getting used to lack of heat, or giving up/minimizing use of your car, or consuming the minimum. It’s also about the survival of european industry, much of which is either shutting down or relocating to parts of the world where energy is affordable. Meanwhile, we are heavily indebted and cannot continue spending our way out of this hole. And the possibility of a downward spiral seems very real to me.