Cameron, INEOS Reject UK’s Committee Call for Shale Moratorium

The UK Prime Minister David Cameron embraced the industry's stance on the work done by the Environment Audit Committee, rejecting the call for a moratorium on fracking.

INEOS: REPORT IS PARTIAL AND PARTISAN

INEOS said that the report published by Environment Audit Committee is “partial and partisan.” The UK-based company wrote that the moratorium on fracking advocated by the Committee would backlash on the national economy. 

“The UK needs shale gas and we know that INEOS has the skills to safely extract it from the ground without damaging the environment. We have committed to consultation with local communities and to give them 6% of the entire revenue from our Shale gas wells. Without Shale gas, UK manufacturing will start to collapse so we need to kick start the Shale gas industry, not put it on hold” INEOS Director, Tom Crotty, commented on Monday. 

Crotty went on, saying that the Committee simply focused on concerns about water quality, emissions and geological integrity.  

“The Committee refused to see INEOS and didn’t look hard enough at the massive decline in the UK’s manufacturing base and the country’s desperate need for Shale gas to reduce energy costs and revitalise industry.”

REPORT: SHALE PRODUCTION INCONSISTENT WITH UK'S OBBLIGATIONS

The Committee printed its report on January 21, calling for higher protection, especially in nationally important and environmentally sensitive areas. 

‘Extensive production of unconventional gas through fracking is inconsistent with the UK's obligations under the Climate Change Act and its carbon budgets regime, which encompasses our contribution to efforts to keep global temperature rise below two degrees’ reads the report. 

According to the Committee, it is also a problem of timing.

‘Any large scale extraction of shale gas in the UK is likely to be at least 10-15 years away, and therefore cannot drive dirtier coal from the energy system because by that time it is likely that unabated coal-fired power generation will have been phased out to meet EU emissions directives.’

The report also said that shale gas production is unlikely to be commercially viable, ‘unless developed at a significant scale.’ 

In December, North Lanarkshire Councillors have called for a moratorium on the unconventional gas extraction to be introduced by Scottish Government in the very area that petrochemicals company Ineos hopes to move forwards exploration and development.