Fracking ‘likely cause’ of quakes

It is “highly probable” that shale gas test drilling triggered earth tremors in Lancashire, a study has found.

But the report, commissioned by energy firm Cuadrilla, also said the quakes were due to an “unusual combination of geology at the well ”.

It said conditions which caused the minor earthquakes were “unlikely to occur again”

Four anti-fracking demonstrators have climbed a rig in Hesketh Bank near Southport ahead of the report.

The protest group, called Frack Off, aims to sit on top of the rig for as long as possible.

Cuadrilla suspended test drilling in June, over fears of links to the quakes.

The tremors are thought to have centred near Poulton-Le-Fylde.

In September, protesters set up a camp in Hesketh Bank – one of the test drilling s – calling for an end to fracking, a controversial extraction process which blasts water into rock to release gas.

MPs’ concern

There have been concerns that potentially carcinogenic chemicals could escape during the process and find their way into drinking water sources.

The industry denies that shale gas is unsafe and a government committee has recommended that fracking should be allowed to go ahead.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has said that shale gas exploration, like other oil and gas projects, is subject to a series of checks.

In June, Gordon Marsden, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, wrote to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne to argue that the government’s chief scientific advisors should look “closely and afresh at the potential issues” with fracking.

His call was echoed by Eric Ollerenshaw, Conservative MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, who wanted independent scientists to investigate the safety issues.

The process involves water and chemicals being pumped underground at high pressure to shatter the rock formations and release the gas.

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