BGS monitored environmental baseline conditions in relation to potential shale gas development in the UK. Monitoring was carried out in both and the .
Drilling shallow boreholes in Fylde, Lancashire, for monitoring groundwater quality close to sites proposed for exploration of unconventional hydrocarbons. BGS © UKRI.
Why is it useful?
The shale gas industry is contentious in the UK, where there is very little experience of it. By carrying out a programme of monitoring in areas of the country where there is significant potential for shale gas, interest from the industry and concern from the public, the monitoring aimed to:
- inform communities and operators about baseline conditions in the areas that were being targeted for shale gas exploration and extraction
- help regulators refine their procedures for managing the UK shale gas industry
- provide information to the public to help them understand the effects of shale gas extraction
- improve the understanding of the subsurface and near-surface environments in the UK context of unconventional hydrocarbons, instead of relying on information from North America where conditions are different
- support the development of new techniques for environmental monitoring
- help establish good practice for industries involved in the development of unconventional hydrocarbons
- establish world-leading expertise in the UK that can be applied elsewhere