Quantities
required for the fracking process may make it problematic in areas of the UK
where resources are scarce
theguardian.com,
Wednesday 27 November 2013
 |
| Anti-fracking protesters outside IGas's Barton Moss site in Eccles, Greater Manchester. Photograph: Northern Gas Gala |
Fracking
may be impractical in parts of the UK due to the scarcity of local water
supplies, and in other areas will have an impact on local water resources, the
water industry has admitted, in a deal struck with the oil and gas industry.
The
controversial process of shale gas and oil extraction uses hydraulic fracturing technology or fracking, where water and chemicals under very high pressure are
blasted at dense shale rocks, opening up fissures through which the tiny
bubbles of methane can be released.
But the
quantities of water required are very large, leading to cases in the US - where
fracking is widespread - where towns and villages have run dry.
In a memorandum of understanding published on Wednesday, the water trade body Water
UK and the UK Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG), which represents fracking
companies, agreed to cooperate on expanding the number of fracking sites in the
UK.
But in
their agreement, noting "the pressure on local water resources",
Water UK acknowledged: "The quantities of water needed vary by site and
throughout the gas exploration and production process, but the demand could
have an impact on local water resources. This demand may be met from a number
of sources, including the public water supply, direct abstraction, water
transported by tanker from other areas, or recycling and reuse of treated
flowback or produced water."
They added:
"However, where water is in short supply there may not be enough available
from public water supplies or the environment to meet the requirements for
hydraulic fracturing."
Water can
be brought in from other areas, but this is costly, causes a nuisance to
residents, and in large quantities would be impractical. It may be possible to
use seawater in some areas. UKOOG said dealing with such issues was one of the
purposes of the memorandum. Water UK told the Guardian there could be risks to
the water supply particularly in the south-east, where the pressure of
population puts supplies under stress.
The
Environment Agency admitted at a public meeting in Balcombe in Sussex – where the fracking company Cuadrilla has been drilling for oil – that pressure on
local water supplies could raise serious problems. An official told local
residents: "The big question mark is over cumulative demand for water in
the south-east should this industry take on a much bigger size."
Ken Cronin,
chief executive of UKOOG, said the agreement with the water industry
"should give reassurance to local communities that the development of
shale gas in the UK can proceed with minimal impact upon the local water and
waste services".
But the
potential need to abstract water from underground sources or rivers has raised
concerns. The new water bill is likely to lead to a large increase in the amount of water taken by water companies from rivers and streams, and has been
criticised by campaigners for enshrining very lax controls on how much they can
take. This could lead to water courses running dry, with dire effects on wildlife.
If water companies are under pressure to supply more for fracking, this could
put even more pressure on resources.
Tony
Bosworth, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "This new
industry report raises concerns about the impact fracking could pose to
water-stressed southern England. Draft guidance from the Environment Agency is
full of holes and doesn't adequately address the risks to water supply and
quality. The desperate search for shale gas and oil must not be allowed to
cause water shortages for critical public purposes, and increases in hosepipe
bans."
The
fracking industry's deal with water utilities comes as iGas, which along with
Cuadrilla is one of the few companies with plans for fracking in the UK,
unveiled details of proposed drilling at its Barton Moss site, near Manchester.
The company now has planning permission from Salford council, at a site about
the size of a football pitch, where a vertical exploration well will be
drilled, taking about eight to 12 weeks. No fracking will take place in the
initial phase, as engineers will take samples for analysis to discover whether
fracking might be necessary to recover any gas found.
A small
protest is taking place at the site, with protesters from Frack Free Greater
Manchester staying in tents, near Barton aerodrome and the M62 motorway. The
BBC reported on Tuesday that a man had been arrested on suspicion of causing an
obstruction, as the drilling rig arrived at the site.
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