1-20 of 347 results for subject:Fracking
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To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what date the Oil and Gas Authority introduced the (a) traffic light system for monitoring seismic activity as a result of fracking and (b) the reduction in shut down time for fracking rigs from three days to...
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what date the Oil and Gas Authority introduced the (a) traffic light system for monitoring seismic activity as a result of fracking and (b) the reduction in shut down time for fracking rigs from three days to...
The Traffic Light System was introduced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and was announced in a Written Ministerial Statement of 13 December 2012 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/written-ministerial-statement-by-edward-davey-exploration-for-shale-gas).
It was adopted on the advice of three independent scientists who conducted an expert review of information available following seismic events at Preese Hall near Blackpool. The independent Oil and Gas Authority are now the regulatory body responsible for monitoring induced seismicity at hydraulic fracturing sites.
The expert review recommended that operations should be paused if an event was detected above a precautionary threshold of a magnitude 0.5 but did not specify a pause period. Before hydraulic fracturing operations can commence, a Hydraulic Fracture Plan must be agreed between the operator and regulators and a minimum pause of 18 hours is required following an event above this threshold. This pause period has been in place for all hydraulic fracture plans so far and has been applied during the regulation of operations at Preston New Road.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk of fracking to (a) aquifers and (b) gas leakage at the surface.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk of fracking to (a) aquifers and (b) gas leakage at the surface.
The Government has been clear that the development of domestic energy sources such as shale gas must be safe and environmentally sound. The UK has a robust regulatory system which provides a comprehensive regime for exploratory activities.
The Environment Agency has carried out an assessment of the environmental risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and the measures that are needed to ensure that the local environment is protected. Based on this, the Environment Agency has developed and published detailed guidance setting out the conditions that fracking operations must meet.
Businesses proposing to explore for oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing require environmental permits from the Environment Agency, which are subject to a detailed site-specific assessment. The permits set legally binding conditions on how activities are carried out so that the local environment is protected. The permit requires that the groundwater, surface water and air quality is monitored before, during and after operations. Extraction of shale gas takes place well below the aquifers that provide drinking water, which are usually located up to few hundred metres below ground. No fracturing is permitted less than 1,000 metres below the surface.
The Environment Agency carries out regular inspections, audits and unannounced spot checks to ensure compliance with the environmental permit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish any reports provided by Cuadrilla Bowland Ltd to the Oil and Gas Authority on the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred at the Preston New Road shale...
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish any reports provided by Cuadrilla Bowland Ltd to the Oil and Gas Authority on the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred at the Preston New Road shale...
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) monitors seismicity as part of their regulatory duties at shale gas sites. They review all information submitted to them by Cuadrilla and have assured the Government that events at Preston New Road are conforming to the pre-agreed Hydraulic Fracture Plan.
Information about the seismic events is displayed real-time on the British Geological Survey (BGS) site and Cuadrilla regularly update information on traffic light events on their web-site.
Within 30 days of completion of operations the operator must submit a Hydraulic Fracturing Operations Report to the OGA. The OGA will publish these reports six months after receipt.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the level of UK carbon emissions of fugitive emissions from fracking.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the level of UK carbon emissions of fugitive emissions from fracking.
Management of fugitive emissions is covered by the Environment Agency permit. As part of the permit application, the operator will need to describe the management of fugitive emissions in an ‘emissions management plan’.
During operations the operator will be required to undertake environmental monitoring, including emissions monitoring, to demonstrate compliance with their permits. In some cases, depending on the risks presented by a site or community concerns, the Environment Agency may carry out extra monitoring themselves.
As a further safeguard, the Infrastructure Act 2015 makes it clear that hydraulic fracturing activities cannot take place unless appropriate arrangements have been made for monitoring emissions of methane into the air.
In addition, the Government is grant funding an environmental monitoring programme led by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in the Fylde (Lancashire) and Kirby Misperton (North Yorkshire), where applications for shale gas wells have been made.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any staff of the Health and Safety Executive have visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November...
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any staff of the Health and Safety Executive have visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November...
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) closely scrutinises activity on the Preston New Road site, working with its fellow regulators. HSE visits sites on the basis of identified risk. HSE has made four site visits to the Preston New Road site before hydraulic fracturing commenced, including an inspection of the high-pressure equipment on 3 and 4 October 2018. HSE has not visited the site since 4 November 2018.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many objections to fracking they have received in 2018 to date.
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many objections to fracking they have received in 2018 to date.
During 2018, the Department has received a range of correspondence from various stakeholders and the general public. The Government continues to work closely with regulators and with the shale industry to ensure that any concerns raised are appropriately addressed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the call by Cuadrilla for an increase in the threshold for the maximum magnitude level at which it is allowed to operate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the call by Cuadrilla for an increase in the threshold for the maximum magnitude level at which it is allowed to operate.
The Traffic Light System is working exactly as intended. As I have already set out to this House, there are no plans to review it. The Traffic Light System ensures that induced seismic events remain at a level that prevents the risk of damage to the environment or property.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Oil and Gas Authority has visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November 2018.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Oil and Gas Authority has visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November 2018.
Officials from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) have visited the Preston New Road site since the red traffic light events. The OGA is closely monitoring operations at the site and is continuing to scrutinise data from the seismic monitoring array.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Oil and Gas Authority on changes to its traffic light system for responding to seismic events at shale gas sites.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Oil and Gas Authority on changes to its traffic light system for responding to seismic events at shale gas sites.
The Chief Executive of the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) wrote to me on 2 November and provided reassurance that the regulatory regime is performing well and that the OGA have not seen anything from the seismic events to date which suggests otherwise.
There are no plans to review the traffic light system.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether Cuadrilla has complied with the 18 hour waiting time after every recorded earthquake on the Preston New Road site.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether Cuadrilla has complied with the 18 hour waiting time after every recorded earthquake on the Preston New Road site.
The Oil and Gas Authority have confirmed that Cuadrilla have paused hydraulic fracturing operations for a minimum of 18 hours following a seismic event of 0.5 magnitude or above, as is required in the strict controls in the Hydraulic Fracture Plan.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many earthquakes have been recorded at the Preston New Road site since Cuadrilla started fracking at that location.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many earthquakes have been recorded at the Preston New Road site since Cuadrilla started fracking at that location.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) is recording seismicity in the Fylde and as of 15 November it has reported 36 minor seismic events since operations began, all but four of these were below the 0.5 magnitude threshold which requires Cuadrilla to pause operations for a minimum of 18 hours.
The BGS has a greater quantity of specialist equipment in the Fylde than anywhere else in the UK which is why a high proportion of minor seismic events are being published on their site which are not reported elsewhere in the country.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to introduce a requirement for independent well integrity tests at shale gas sites in the event of seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5 ML threshold occurring at such...
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to introduce a requirement for independent well integrity tests at shale gas sites in the event of seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5 ML threshold occurring at such...
The Traffic Light System dictates that if an event of 0.5ML or above is detected and causally linked to operations, the operator must pause operations for 18 hours and reduce well pressure. Operations are only allowed to resume once regulators are satisfied that any risks have been appropriately mitigated and this includes consideration of well integrity by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The HSE robustly and independently regulates health and safety across Great Britain. The HSE has a proven track record of taking enforcement action where breaches of relevant legislation have occurred and, as an effective and proportionate regulator, will continue to do so when appropriate.
Under our existing legislation, the HSE requires operators of oil and gas wells to maintain well integrity throughout the lifecycle of the well, from design and construction to final decommissioning. The HSE routinely inspects the well integrity risk management systems of oil and gas well operators, and verifies these inspections by scrutinising statutory wells operation reports sent weekly to the HSE by the operator.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish any reports received by his Department from the (a) Oil and Gas Authority, (b) Environment Agency and (c) Health and Safety Executive on the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML...
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish any reports received by his Department from the (a) Oil and Gas Authority, (b) Environment Agency and (c) Health and Safety Executive on the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML...
If a seismic event of 0.5ML, or greater, on the ‘Richter Local Scale’ is detected and causally linked to the operations, hydraulic fracturing is suspended for a minimum of 18 hours. An event report must be submitted to and independently reviewed by each of the regulatory bodies who will only allow operations to recommence once they have fully assessed the information and are satisfied the event conforms to the pre-agreed Hydraulic Fracture Plan.
Within 30 days of completion of all hydraulic fracturing operations at a well, a Hydraulic Fracturing Operations Report must be submitted to the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) by the operator. The OGA will publish these reports six months after receipt.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November 2018.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has visited the Preston New Road shale gas site since the four seismic events of greater than the red light 0.5ML threshold that occurred between 26 October 2018 and 4 November 2018.
Yes.
What steps he is taking to help reduce the incidence of seismic activity caused by hydraulic fracturing.
What steps he is taking to help reduce the incidence of seismic activity caused by hydraulic fracturing.
It is always a pleasure to answer a question from my mother-in-law’s MP. As he knows, we have always made it clear that any hydraulic fracturing that takes place under current licences must be consistent with our regulatory regime, including the traffic light system, which is the toughest in the world. The Preston New Road site is the most monitored site for seismic activity, and among the 36 events recorded, the 1.1 local magnitude event was the equivalent at the surface of a bag of flour being dropped to the floor.
It is always a pleasure to answer a question from my mother-in-law’s MP. As he knows, we have always made it clear that any hydraulic fracturing that takes place under current licences must be consistent with our regulatory regime, including the traffic light system, which is the toughest in the world. The Preston New Road site is the most monitored site for seismic activity, and among the 36 events recorded, the 1.1 local magnitude event was the equivalent at the surface of a bag of flour being dropped to the floor.
It is always a pleasure to answer a question from my mother-in-law’s MP. As he knows, we have always made it clear that any hydraulic fracturing that takes place under current licences must be consistent with our regulatory regime, including the traffic light system, which is the toughest in the world. The Preston New Road site is the most monitored site for seismic activity, and among the 36 events recorded, the 1.1 local magnitude event was the equivalent at the surface of a bag of flour being dropped to the floor.
What steps he is taking to help reduce the incidence of seismic activity caused by hydraulic fracturing.
I always do my best for all my constituents, Mr Speaker; I do not have any favourites. On fracking in the Blackpool area, there have been 47 minor earthquakes in that area and Cuadrilla has now ceased operations. Does that signal a change in Government policy?
I always do my best for all my constituents, Mr Speaker; I do not have any favourites. On fracking in the Blackpool area, there have been 47 minor earthquakes in that area and Cuadrilla has now ceased operations. Does that signal a change in Government policy?
Not at all. Thanks to the superb seismic monitoring and the work of some excellent students at Liverpool University, it is clear that the most significant of the micro tremors that we are seeing is the equivalent of dropping a kilogram of flour on my mother-in-law’s floor in Earlsdon and feeling the vibration from that.
We are calmly and soberly going through the process of seeing whether this potentially valuable resource that can reduce our energy dependency on imports can be exploited, but it has to be done in a way that is consistent with our world-beating and tough regulatory regime.
Not at all. Thanks to the superb seismic monitoring and the work of some excellent students at Liverpool University, it is clear that the most significant of the micro tremors that we are seeing is the equivalent of dropping a kilogram of flour on my mother-in-law’s floor in Earlsdon and feeling the vibration from that.
We are calmly and soberly going through the process of seeing whether this potentially valuable resource that can reduce our energy dependency on imports can be exploited, but it has to be done in a way that is consistent with our world-beating and tough regulatory regime.
Not at all. Thanks to the superb seismic monitoring and the work of some excellent students at Liverpool University, it is clear that the most significant of the micro tremors that we are seeing is the equivalent of dropping a kilogram of flour on my mother-in-law’s floor in Earlsdon and feeling the vibration from that.
We are calmly and soberly going through the process of seeing whether this potentially valuable resource that can reduce our energy dependency on imports can be exploited, but it has to be done in a way that is consistent with our world-beating and tough regulatory regime.
I always do my best for all my constituents, Mr Speaker; I do not have any favourites. On fracking in the Blackpool area, there have been 47 minor earthquakes in that area and Cuadrilla has now ceased operations. Does that signal a change in Government policy?