Reporting on the unconventional oil and gas industry and its use of hydraulic fracturing
14th April 2014 The government wants to allow onshore oil exploration sites to store up to 200 tonnes of crude oil for up to six months without applying for an environmental permit.
12th April 2014 The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has written to the Conservative MP, Peter Lilley, confirming that only one well in the UK has used high volume hydraulic fracturing.
12th April 2014 The Frack Free Balcombe Residents’ Association (FFBRA) has called for a block on all future onshore oil and gas licences in the UK. It also says Environmental Impact Assessments should be carried out on all existing licences.
7th April 2014 Transcripts of last week’s parliamentary questions and statements on: Tax incentives for shale gas investment Leaks from abandoned wells Impact of shale gas on energy prices Energy efficiency Energy self-sufficiency Permitting procedures for deep drilling With thanks to theyworkforyou.com
23rd March 2014 According to documents seen by The Guardian, the chair of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith, offered last year to speed up a permit application by Cuadrilla. He also offered to intervene with West Sussex County Council on Cuadrilla’s planning application at Balcombe and identify further […]
14th March 2014 Staff from West Sussex County Council had weeks of negotiations with Cuadrilla’s planning consultant over what information should be included in the company’s application to flow test its well at Balcombe. The evidence emerged in the response to a Freedom of Information request by InvestigatingBalcomebAndCuadrilla.com […]
13th March 2014 The leader of West Sussex County Council should welcome a new campaign group, which held its first fundraising event last night. We need to talk about fracking is calling for a “genuinely independent, balanced and thorough public debate”. Last year, Louise Goldsmith twice asked the […]
Public Health England (PHE) has called for more controls on testing Cuadrilla’s oil exploration well at Balcombe to protect people from possible pollution threats. Responding to the company’s latest planning application, the organisation (established last year to protect and improve the nation’s health) recommended: Further checks on the […]
New Scientist magazine says the Balcombe area of West Sussex could be one of the best places to drill for onshore oil after a study of shale rock throughout England. The study’s leader, Alastair Fraser, of Imperial College London, told the magazine: “Our analysis highlights the Balcombe area […]
6th March 2014 Polls by a BBC TV programme and a regional newspaper both recorded a majority against fracking, but with very different margins.
DRILL OR DROP? 