The Government announced last week that exploratory hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for shale gas can resume in the UK, subject to new controls to mitigate the risks of seismic activity. This follows a suspension of exploratory fracking in May 2011 after two small seismic tremors were detected near the country’s only fracking operations in Lancashire. The decision follows study and further analysis by an independent panel of experts commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, with feedback from public consultation, and a report by the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering. A new Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil, led by DECC, will be a focus of regulatory effort going forward. A study of the possible impacts of shale gas development on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is also being commissioned, to consider available evidence on the lifecycle of greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas exploitation and the need for further research. http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_164/pn12_164.aspx
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