Fracking operations on the Preese Hall site at Weeton have been suspended by Cuadrilla Resources pending the completion of a detailed 'geo-mechanical' report at the request of the Department of Energy and Climate Change. This is further to investigations that have been carried out since the suspension of work on the site following the second earthquake on the Fylde coast on 27 May.
The press release states that this postponement of activity was a voluntary decision made by Cuadrilla Resources. The report is to investigate links between the seismic events and the hydraulic fracturing process and address what can be done to reduce risks 'should a connection be proven'. This report will take approximately 2 months to complete.
Cuadrilla state in the press release that there is currently 'no proven link between the seismic events and the hydraulic fracturing' yet an initial report published by the British Geological Survey immediately after the 27 May earthquake concluded that a link between the fracturing activity and seismic events, although not absolute, was supported by their findings.
Despite an undertone that suggests the DECC are wasting their time with this report, Cuadrilla say that hydraulic fracturing activity will not be restarted until all discussion with the regulatory authorities is concluded in a satisfactory manner.
The press release then goes on to say that the 'tremors' are not really 'earthquakes' and (reading between the lines) that this is all a lot of fuss over nothing. Perhaps Cuadrilla would like to continue fracking just to see if the process is capable of achieving a quake that can bring a building down, break up land or leave a few human casualties??
They say: "The intensity of the tremors is well below anything that could be realistically considered as an earthquake...(and the tremors) have not led to any recorded structural damage or physical injury."
Oh dear, they almost sound disappointed, MUST TRY HARDER TO DESTROY AND INJURE. Meh!
You can read the full statement at:
http://www.cuadrillaresources.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lancashire-Operations-Status-Report-28-06-11.pdf
So instead they are moving their equipment to begin drilling at another site in the next 2 weeks....
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