In the UK the Government is favour of fracking for gas. Also, protection for National parks has been partially removed:
Follow Fracking for Gas for more updates.
Fracking summary:
With the recent UK government decision on 'fracking' this a 'must read' and very informative article from the National Geographic Dec 2012 about the development and problems caused (& benefits to the US economy) of this form of gas extraction over the last 10 years in the USA. See the maps, graphs and articles about the problems, technology used and economics. I was surprised to read how much this fuel has already replace coal fired power stations. Follow this link:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/methane/lavelle-text
Those who want to know more about ‘fracking’ should read the National
Geographic article mentioned above.
This is a good exposé on the matter. Should one be for or against? I am definitely
for economic renewable energy and would like all countries to move away from
coal, oil & nuclear. Natural gas or methane gas in the absence of 100%
renewable is a good option.
The issue is how to get hold of methane? Drilling for shale gas has
its problems but is it worse than drilling for oil in the sea with all the
risks that come with that? I would content that drilling for oil in the arctic
could cause massive pollution of the sea. Also do we want more catastrophes
like Deep Water Horizon?
The jury is still out on hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ but in the UK we have to weigh the benefits of 'home' production against imported gas. The UK is currently importing vast
quantities from Mr Putin’s Russia and other sources. Making us 100%
self-sufficient in fuel is highly desirable for the UK. Making us self reliant in terms of renewable energy is an even better objective.
The Daily Telegraph in Sept 2015 reported:
A record high of 25.3 per cent of the UK’s power came from wind, solar, biomass and hydro-electric sources in the three months to June, up from just 16.7% in the same period the year before: Click chart for DT article:
Back to Fracking:
The Daily Telegraph in Sept 2015 reported:
A record high of 25.3 per cent of the UK’s power came from wind, solar, biomass and hydro-electric sources in the three months to June, up from just 16.7% in the same period the year before: Click chart for DT article:
Back to Fracking:
Those who criticize this form of fuel extraction should firstly study
the US situation where hydraulic fracturing has been in operation for at least
the last 7 years on a large scale. The UK press will no doubt have a field day
on the subject of ‘earthquakes’ which, I believe is a red herring. What we need
is informative articles on this form of exploration. We in the UK can’t have
our cake & eat it. There is a growing campaign against wind farms and will
be against fracking. By what is the alternative? More global warming,
with reliance on coal, oil & nuclear?
Along with renewables, methane (natural gas) is good for the UK. The
vast reserves of methane below the surface cannot be ignore when weighed
against our ferocious appetite for energy and against the use of oil, coal
& nuclear.
So why is methane good? And why fracking? Here are my notes:
Firstly methane:
Before exploring the pros & cons of ‘fracking’ it is important to
understand the role of methane in our planet’s atmosphere. There are 6 points
to consider:
What is the difference between natural gas and methane? The
difference is methane is 99.99% C4H. Natural gas contains a mixture of
hydrocarbons such as including Methane (usually about 95%), Ethane, Butane,
Propane & other naturally occurring chemicals. Natural gas will also
have trace amounts of other compounds that naturally come from rock such as
Sulphur Dioxide.
What is it & how is it formed? Methane occurs naturally. As a
result of the breakdown of vegetation millions of years ago that are vast
reserves of methane trapped thousands of feet below the surface but it is still
produced today – it is given off from swamps, marshes, rice fields, land fill,
pumped out of coal mines, manure lagoons stomachs of cows & amazingly
termites! Comparing natural action to human causes the estimate ratio is about
40% natural to 60% industrial. Also we have a new phenomenon – methane
‘bubbles’ which have been trapped in permafrost is now leaking up though ice
covered lakes as the temperature rises, because of global warming, in place
like Alaska & Siberia?
So methane is being produced anyway, what shall we do? Every country
should take action to prevent the natural escape & human production of
methane into the atmosphere; but where it is found or produced by human causes,
it should be converted to fuel. The by-product is less polluting than coal or
gas. Currently atmospheric methane has increased 160% since pre industrial
days! Trapping it a burning it is much preferable. One example is in Sweden
where they have developed a new biogas reactor that processes offal. The
methane produced fuels vehicles and replaces over a million gallons of petrol
& diesel.
Is it bad for us? Methane has a global warming potential of 25
compared to CO2
What happens when you burn it? The chemical energy stored in
the methane is converted into heat and you are left with CO2 & H20.
How does it compare with coal as a fuel? Methane burns
very efficiently and without spewing out sulphur dioxide, mercury & ash
particles, plus it produces half the CO2 that coal does.
Secondly ‘fracking’:
There are 4 main negatives about the extraction of hydraulic fracturing:
‘Earthquakes’ or tremors : The evidence in the USA does
not support this as a major problem but in the UK the ‘built environment’ is
much more intense and will no doubt cause concern. However, the
earthquakes have been of a type that's common in the UK, and very much at the lower
end of the scale. They haven't caused any damage. More evidence is needed to
allay fears & a negative newspaper campaign.
Leakage of methane during extraction: Following the evidence in
the USA this is clearly a problem. High standards must be applied to the
industry.
Leaking of methane into water courses: Again, evidence in the
USA shows this is clearly a problem. We need to learn from the American what
the extent or level of the problem is and how it can be avoided and/or
minimised.
Drilling: A ‘shale gas’ drilling rig is roughly the same as for natural gas. Once the drilling is completed, the well head is reduces to a small set of
valves, that would fit inside a truck. Even during drilling, the site is not
that large: smaller than a decent sized wind farm.
What Is Fracking?
Watch this video animation to learn how the process of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, forces oil from the ground in North Dakota, USA. Click Image:
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See also Wikipedia article about Hydraulic fracturing
