Lords to hear shale extraction evidence
1 Nov 2013
The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will hear evidence next week from companies wanting to develop shale gas sites.
Taking evidence from firms such as Cuadrilla and Ineos, the Lords Committee will be presented with evidence on Tuesday afternoon regarding shale gas drilling within the UK and those firms hoping to process shale gas in petrochemical plants.
A statement from the House of Lords has suggested that the committee “will question the witnesses on the scope for commercial shale gas extraction and use in the UK, which areas of the UK are most likely to produce shale gas, and when production might start”.
The session will also cover topics including safety risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking) - the process in which shale gas is extracted from the beneath the earth’s surface.
Those giving evidence to the committee are as follows:
- Francis Egan, CEO, Cuadrilla
- Andrew Austin, CEO, IGas Energy
- Tom Crotty, Director, INEOS
- Andrew Mackenzie, Gas Procurement Manager, INEOS
Opposition to fracking has been widely publicised in recent months as some believe it causes contamination to local water supplies and that chemicals used in the process are harmful to the environment.
Cuadrilla’s shale gas exploration site in Balcombe, West Sussex encountered protesting throughout the summer, for example.
However, the company had hired environmental consultant Ground Gas Solutions to monitor the gas regime at all of its UK sites - ensuring any drilling work undertaken was done so in the safest way possible.
Yesterday, Public Health England published a review of literature regarding the potential impact of hazardous chemicals associated with shale gas extraction.
