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Location: FRAW Main index » Free Range Publications » E-Series, 'Energy' » E11. 'Fracking and Coalbed Methane'

E11. Fracking and Coalbed Methane

Unconventional gas in the UK

When gas fracking and other "unconventional" energy resources are discussed in the media the focus is usually on the technology used to produced the energy, or the impact this might have on the environment. In fact, the significant feature of the exploitation of unconventional energy resources is that our present energy situation has become so precarious that companies and government consider these valid energy sources, and the public interest demands that this aspect of the problem be examined. Unconventional energy resources are being developed to supplement existing fossil fuel resources, and arguably, due to their lower energy return and high ecological impacts, they exacerbate the energy crisis by giving a false sense of energy security.

Version 1, October 2011. Produced by the Free Range Energy Beyond Oil Project

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Further information for Sheet E11

Further reading:

The Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources of Britain's Onshore Basins: Shale Gas, DECC, 2010 – https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/UKpromote/onshore_paper/UK_onshore_shalegas.pdf

The Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources of Britain's Onshore Basins: Coalbed Methane, DECC 2010 – https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/UKpromote/onshore_paper/Promote_UK_CBM.pdf

UK Coal Resource for New Exploitation Technologies, British Geological Survey/Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2004 – http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file19153.pdf

5^th Report, Shale Gas – Volume I (HC795-I, report), House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, 2011 – http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenergy/795/795.pdf

5^th Report, Shale Gas – Volume II (HC795-II, evidence), House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, 2011 – http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenergy/795/795vw.pdf

7^th Special Report – Shale Gas: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2010-12, House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, 2011 – http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenergy/1449/1449.pdf

Strategic Environmental Assessment for a 14th and Subsequent Onshore Oil & Gas Licensing Rounds, Department for Energy and Climate Change, July 2010 – https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/information/papers/index.htm

Shale gas: a provisional assessment of climate change and environmental impacts, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, January 2011 – http://tyndall.ac.uk/sites/default/files/tyndall-coop_shale_gas_report_final.pdf

Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations – A letter, Howarth et. al., Climatic Change, vol.106 no.4 pp.679-690, 2011 – http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/Howarth%20et%20al%20%202011.pdf

Impacts of Shale Gas and Shale Oil Extraction on the Environment and on Human Health – Study, Policy Department A: Economic and Scientific Policy, Directorate General for Internal Policies, European Parliament, June 2011 – http://www.europeecologie.eu/IMG/pdf/shale-gas-pe-464-425-final.pdf

Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective, Colborn et.al. (draft), Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, vol.17 no.11 pp.1039-1056, October 2011 – http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/files/Oct2011HERA10-48forweb3-3-11.pdf

The prospectivity of the English Channel, Department for Energy and Climate Change, 2010 – https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/UKpromote/posters/English_Channel_prospectivity_poster.pdf

Shale Gas: A UK energy miracle?, Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers, September 2011 – http://www.igem.org.uk/media/107958/IGEM-Shale_Gas-A_UK_energy_miracle-September_2011.pdf

Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing, Osborn et. al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011 – http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/02/1100682108.full.pdf+html

Avoiding gas lock-in – Why a second dash for gas is not in the UK’s interest, Green Alliance briefing, June 2011 – http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/grea_p.aspx?id=5857

Assessing the Environmental Effects of Marcellus Shale Gas Development: The State of Science, Pinchot Institute for Conservation (undated) – http://www.pinchot.org/gp/EffectsofMarcellusShale

Is gas fracking coming to North Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire?, Ideas for a Change (Banbury), October 2011 – http://www.fraw.org.uk/f.html?oxonbucksfrac

Videos/TV programmes:

Gasland, Josh Fox, Dogwoof Studios, 2011 –
http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/

The hidden cost of the US hydraulic fracturing, Ecologist Film Unit, 2011 –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCyHS7fKmXI

What you need to know about natural gas production, Theo Colborn, TEDX, 2011 –
http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.video.php

Is Coal Seam Gas worth the risk? – The backlash to a billion dollar industry, Peter McCutcheon, ABC News (Australia), 19th September 2011 –
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3321223.htm

Web sites:

Frack Off! –
http://frack-off.org.uk/

No Fracking UK –
http://nofrackinguk.com/

Ribble Estuary Against Fracking –
http://reafg.blogspot.com/

The Vale Says NO! –
http://thevalesaysno.com/

Don't Frack with the Fylde –
http://dont-frack-with-the-fylde.blogspot.com/

Fracking Free Ireland –
http://frackingfreeireland.org/

FrackTracker (Center for Healthy Environments and Communities) –
http://www.fractracker.org/

Natural Gas Europe (industry-backed forum) –
http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/

Environment Agency: 'Unconventional gas' –
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/126689.aspx

British Geological Survey: 'Shale gas' –
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas.html

European Unconventional Gas (industry lobby site) –
http://www.europeunconventionalgas.org/

Unnatural Gas (USA) –
http://un-naturalgas.org/

Cuadrilla Resources –
http://www.cuadrillaresources.com/

Eden Energy (co-owners of Coastal Oil and Gas and UK Methane) –
http://www.edenenergy.com.au/

Cougar Energy (Australian UCG company) –
http://www.cougarenergy.com.au/

Credits:

"Oil/gas reservoir" diagram (page 2) courtesy of Wikimedia Commons –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_reservoir

"Underground coal gasification" diagram (box, page 4) courtesy of Bretwood Higman –
http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Graphics/UndergroundCoalGasification.html