Drilling for shale gas in Altrincham is a step closer today after the government included the town in its latest raft of fracking licences.
A total of 93 licences were handed out yesterday by the Oil and Gas Authority, giving companies permission to explore 159 blocks of land in England, one of which covers Altrincham.
Although the licence does not itself give any direct permission for operations to begin, it does grant the licensee – in Altrincham’s case, multinational chemicals company Ineos – exclusivity over the area in order to undertake exploration.
Ineos now has two years in order to make a decision over whether to drill or not, but they would not be able to begin operations without a number of further permissions and consents, including planning permission, environmental permits from the Environment Agency and scrutiny by the Health and Safety Executive.
Fracking – short for hydraulic fracturing – is a controversial method of oil and gas extraction which involves pumping water and chemicals into rocks deep underground and collecting the material trapped within them. It has transformed the US energy industry, pushing down the price of gas and reducing its gas imports.
However, environmentalists say potentially carcinogenic chemicals used may escape and contaminate groundwater around the fracking site. There are also worries that the fracking process can cause small earth tremors.
Ineos said it was “committed to full consultation with all local communities and will share 6% of revenues with homeowners, landowners and communities close to its shale gas wells.”
Local MP Graham Brady welcomed the granting of a fracking exploration licence in Altrincham.
He said: “Shale gas has the potential to be an important source of energy for the UK, reducing our dependence on volatile overseas suppliers and helping to prevent price rises for homeowners and businesses.
“The Government has committed to the very highest standards of environmental monitoring and protection and these must be observed in practice. Any exploitation of shale gas reserves must only proceed when it can be shown to be safe and to meet proper environmental standards.
“The licences just announced relate to large areas of the country but any exploitation of shale gas would be very deep under the ground. I will work with Trafford Council and any concerned local residents to ensure that proper standards are met throughout the process.”
However Dan Jerrome, from the Trafford Green Party, said it was “extremely disappointed and concerned” by the decision.
“Fracking in any location contributes directly to global warming, continues our over-dependence on limited fossil fuels, while also polluting on a local level,” he added.
