Tommy Tainant
Diamond Member
Fracking suspended following earthquake
Operations have been suspended at the UK's only active shale gas fracking site following an earthquake - just 11 days after it was given the go ahead.
Energy firm Cuadrilla said it would halt fracking at the Lancashire site for 18 hours after a tremor of 0.8 magnitude was recorded.
Drilling for shale gas at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, started on 15 October after a legal challenge failed.
Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan said people should not be concerned.
Fracking in Lancashire was stopped in 2011 after being linked with earthquakes.
The seismic activity was detected by the British Geological Survey (BGS) at about 12:36 BST and is classed as a "red" event on the traffic light monitoring system regulated by the Oil and Gas Authority.
Any tremor measuring 0.5 or above means fracking must be temporarily stopped while tests are carried out.
Mr Egan said the 0.5 level was "far below anything that can be felt or cause damage or harm."
Great news.
If we had a government with any sense of responsibility this nonsense would be stopped for ever.
Operations have been suspended at the UK's only active shale gas fracking site following an earthquake - just 11 days after it was given the go ahead.
Energy firm Cuadrilla said it would halt fracking at the Lancashire site for 18 hours after a tremor of 0.8 magnitude was recorded.
Drilling for shale gas at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, started on 15 October after a legal challenge failed.
Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan said people should not be concerned.
Fracking in Lancashire was stopped in 2011 after being linked with earthquakes.
The seismic activity was detected by the British Geological Survey (BGS) at about 12:36 BST and is classed as a "red" event on the traffic light monitoring system regulated by the Oil and Gas Authority.
Any tremor measuring 0.5 or above means fracking must be temporarily stopped while tests are carried out.
Mr Egan said the 0.5 level was "far below anything that can be felt or cause damage or harm."
Great news.
If we had a government with any sense of responsibility this nonsense would be stopped for ever.
