The British government on Thursday lifted the country’s ban on ‘fracking’ (hydraulic fracturing), a highly controversial method of extracting gas and oil because of the risks, suspended by the Conservative government in 2019.
“To strengthen the UK’s energy security, the UK government today (Thursday 22nd) lifted the ban on shale gas production in the UK,” a statement said.
The government of new Prime Minister Liz Truss (Conservative) has said future drilling permit applications will only be scrutinized against “national and global gas needs” and “if there is support at the local level”.
Environmental advocates say fracking causes earthquakes and poses pollution risks. And they say the impact on global energy supplies is minimal.
A government-commissioned scientific report on shale gas extraction this year and published on Thursday acknowledges there is currently a “limited understanding of British geology and terrestrial shale resources”, the government said.
“Currently, only three hydraulic fracturing test wells have been undertaken in the UK,” the executive explained. Lifting the ban “will allow us to get more data and better understand (the country’s) shale gas resources and learn how to extract them in absolute safety.”
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© Agence France-Presse
