My fracking study was fully independent, says professor – as campaigners say universities have been hijacked by PR machine
The fracking debate continues. I suspect it is a good thing, but dont really understand enough to offer an informed view. Cheaper fuel, if used responsibly, could certainly increase the quality of life in rural areas. Fracking may also bring some additional employment to rural places. The author of this report suggests its impact are no more seismic than you or I jumping off a ladder. I am not sure that everyone is going to agree with this but would be interested in your views. This article tells us:
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations to recover shale gas in Lancashire were suspended in 2011 after two minor earthquakes. The Government has lifted the moratorium on the process and is backing further exploration of on-shore shale gas reserves to help plug Britain’s growing energy gap.
Professor Davies said the paper was funded by his university and said in the past he had confronted oil companies over drilling activities which he argued led to the eruption of a mud volcano in Indonesia in 2006 and the displacement of 30,000 people.
He said: “I think it is critical we have people who know about the oil and gas industry. We rely on the data from the industry. We do need to be close to the coalface to understand what’s going on.”
He added: “It is incredibly difficult to get experts to work on things who have no previous direct first-hand experience with the technology or the industry.”
Professor Davies said he was “agnostic” over the technology and warned over the long-term integrity of wells and the impact of road traffic on communities affecting by fracking operations.
Charlotte Wilson of Frack Off said: “Claiming that there was no direct industry funding is just accounting trickery. If the people involved are receiving large amounts of money from the industry it doesn’t matter what it is claimed to be for, it totally undermines their credibility.”