Expert Poll: UK Shale Gas Impact Will Take a Decade

The vast majority of industry players expect the UK shale gas to take at least 10 years to have a significant impact on national energy supplies, a survey by Pinsent Masons reveals on Monday. 

‘The survey, which canvassed the views of 100 of the most prominent players in the UK shale industry, showed 64% of stakeholders believe that it will take at least 10 years for shale gas exploitation to make a meaningful impact, with a further 13% saying it could take up to 20 years,’ reads a note released by the international law firm Pinsent Masons.

It also confirmed that local opposition and complex planning and licensing arrangements are considered the biggest industry fears in pursuit of shale.

‘55% of delegates cited local opposition and ‘nimbyism’ as the biggest challenge and barrier to the shale gas becoming a valuable domestic resource,’ reads the report. 

Nimbyism is a word stemming from the acronym Not In My Backyard (NIMBY), indicating the practice of objecting exploration in proximity of communities. 

PROTESTS, SCOTLAND AND POLITICS

Despite a decrease of public support in the last months, 45% of respondents felt that protests in Balcombe, West Sussex, did not have any impact on the business case for investment in UK shale. 

‘There was a 45%-45% split of opinion on whether protests over exploratory drilling in Balcombe last summer would affect investment in UK shale,’ Pinsent Masons wrote in the press release. 

The survey, conducted in October and December 2013, also dealt with Scotland and politics.

The majority of respondents suggested that Scottish independence would not impact on international investors' decisions, despite eventual delays due to a Scottish proposal that would require a certain distance between shale gas sites and settlements.

‘55% … thought a Scottish Government proposal for buffer zones around fracking sites would hinder the pace of development,’ reads the note. 

Industry players felt confidence about British government’s endorsement. The majority credit the Conservative Party with devising the clearest policies to promote exploration and production of shale gas.