Written question asked by Michelle Donelan (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 January 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 January 2016 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Tuesday, 19 January 2016. A substantive answer was provided by Andrea Leadsom (Conservative) on Thursday, 21 January 2016 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Fracking

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of (a) known available oil and gas reserves and (b) reserves estimated to be found as a result of fracking she plans to be left unexploited.

Answer: The amount of exploitable oil and gas reserves is determined by their commercial viability, which is a decision for industry. The shale gas industry in the UK is still at a very early stage and production has not yet started. The Government will not be able to forecast the scale or timing of shale development until the results from first exploration sites are available and it is possible to estimate the extent of gas that can be technically and commercially recovered.

Secondary information