Fears for Yorkshire countryside as oil giant joins fracking rush

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have warned about the potential impact of fracking in the Yorkshire region as energy giant Total announced its first major move into the controversial extraction of shale gas in neighbouring Lincolnshire.
Demonstrators block the entrance to an I Gas shale drilling plant oil depot near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire during a visit by Prime Minster David Cameron.Demonstrators block the entrance to an I Gas shale drilling plant oil depot near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire during a visit by Prime Minster David Cameron.
Demonstrators block the entrance to an I Gas shale drilling plant oil depot near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire during a visit by Prime Minster David Cameron.

The French company described its investment in a project centred around Gainsborough as “an important milestone” but Friends of the Earth (FoE) warned against the consequences and highlighted areas in Yorkshire are likely to be future targets for the development of wells.

FoE campaigner Simon Bowens said: “The main issue is water contamination. Fifteen per cent of Yorkshire and the North East’s water supply comes from groundwater and they would be drilling through to extract gas.

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“The process creates massive fractures in the ground to release the shale gas and you don’t know where those fractures are going to go. Areas like Ryedale are already geologically very heavily faulted.”

Barclays’ subsidiary Third Energy has already taken shale samples while drilling in Kirby Misperton in the Ryedale area over the summer.

FoE also raised concerns about potential scarring of attractive areas of countryside and the environmental impact of having to transport millions of gallons of water to pump into the ground as part of the drilling process.

Total is to invest £30m into the drilling project at the Gainsborough Trough which extends towards the Nottinghamshire border with Yorkshire.

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The company’s move is likely to herald further exploration by the major players in the energy market, backed by strong support from the Government which is promising that local councils can keep 100 per cent of business rates collected from shale gas schemes.

Cameron defends fracking plans: Page 5.