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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Fracking halted after government pulls support | Fracking halted after government pulls support |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The government has called a halt to shale gas extraction - or fracking - in England amid fears about earthquakes. | The government has called a halt to shale gas extraction - or fracking - in England amid fears about earthquakes. |
| It comes after a report by the Oil and Gas Authority said it was not possible to predict the probability or size of tremors caused by the practice. | It comes after a report by the Oil and Gas Authority said it was not possible to predict the probability or size of tremors caused by the practice. |
| Fracking has been suspended since a tremor in Lancashire in August. | Fracking has been suspended since a tremor in Lancashire in August. |
| Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said shale gas had "huge potential" but the government was "no longer convinced" it could be extracted safely. | Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom said shale gas had "huge potential" but the government was "no longer convinced" it could be extracted safely. |
| Fracking was suspended after activity by Cuadrilla Resources - the only company licensed to carry out the process - at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire caused a magnitude 2.9 earthquake. | Fracking was suspended after activity by Cuadrilla Resources - the only company licensed to carry out the process - at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire caused a magnitude 2.9 earthquake. |
| Mrs Leadsom said: "After reviewing the OGA's report into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, it is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community. | Mrs Leadsom said: "After reviewing the OGA's report into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, it is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community. |
| For this reason, she said, she had concluded the government should put a moratorium on fracking "with immediate effect". | For this reason, she said, she had concluded the government should put a moratorium on fracking "with immediate effect". |
| The government says it will "take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents" and this will continue unless compelling new evidence is provided. | The government says it will "take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents" and this will continue unless compelling new evidence is provided. |
| However, it has stopped short of an outright ban. | However, it has stopped short of an outright ban. |
| Fracking is a process in which liquid is pumped deep underground at high pressure to fracture shale rock and release gas or oil trapped within it. | Fracking is a process in which liquid is pumped deep underground at high pressure to fracture shale rock and release gas or oil trapped within it. |
| Assessment by the British Geological Survey in 2013 suggested there were enough resources in the Bowland Shale across northern England to potentially provide up to 50 years of current gas demand. | Assessment by the British Geological Survey in 2013 suggested there were enough resources in the Bowland Shale across northern England to potentially provide up to 50 years of current gas demand. |
| But research published in August estimated there were only 5-7 years' supply. | |
| The UK's fracking industry, which has said the process could contribute significantly to future energy needs and create thousands of jobs, dismissed the report's findings. | |
| Fierce opposition | Fierce opposition |
| Fracking must be halted for 18 hours if it causes a tremor measuring 0.5 magnitude or above. | Fracking must be halted for 18 hours if it causes a tremor measuring 0.5 magnitude or above. |
| The government announcement is the second time it has placed a moratorium on fracking. | The government announcement is the second time it has placed a moratorium on fracking. |
| The first suspension, which lasted a year, was in November 2011 during the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. | The first suspension, which lasted a year, was in November 2011 during the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government. |
| Ms Leadsom said: "Shale gas offers huge potential in the UK, there's no doubt about that" | Ms Leadsom said: "Shale gas offers huge potential in the UK, there's no doubt about that" |
| "There's also no doubt that in our determination to decarbonise, the continued use of gas will be very important for the next several decades so there's no doubt that extracting more natural gas in the UK would be very attractive. | "There's also no doubt that in our determination to decarbonise, the continued use of gas will be very important for the next several decades so there's no doubt that extracting more natural gas in the UK would be very attractive. |
| "But we've always been clear we can only do that if it can be done safely and on the advice from the Oil and Gas Authority we're no longer convinced that is the case." | "But we've always been clear we can only do that if it can be done safely and on the advice from the Oil and Gas Authority we're no longer convinced that is the case." |
| The fracking industry has faced fierce opposition from both communities and environmental groups. | The fracking industry has faced fierce opposition from both communities and environmental groups. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson has in the past supported fracking, writing in the Daily Telegraph that the discovery of shale gas in the UK was "glorious news for humanity". | Prime Minister Boris Johnson has in the past supported fracking, writing in the Daily Telegraph that the discovery of shale gas in the UK was "glorious news for humanity". |
| A recent report by the National Audit Office found the UK had spent at least £32.7m supporting fracking since 2011. | A recent report by the National Audit Office found the UK had spent at least £32.7m supporting fracking since 2011. |
| Labour has promised to stop the technique if elected in the general election on 12 December. | Labour has promised to stop the technique if elected in the general election on 12 December. |
| Labour's shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long Bailey, said: "The next Labour government will ban fracking - whereas the Tories will only call a temporary halt to it. | Labour's shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long Bailey, said: "The next Labour government will ban fracking - whereas the Tories will only call a temporary halt to it. |
| "You can't trust a word the prime minister says." | "You can't trust a word the prime minister says." |
| Both the Liberal Democrats and Green Party also support a ban on fracking. | Both the Liberal Democrats and Green Party also support a ban on fracking. |
| All fracking in Scotland has been suspended since 2013 and the SNP recently confirmed a policy of "no support" for the extraction method. | All fracking in Scotland has been suspended since 2013 and the SNP recently confirmed a policy of "no support" for the extraction method. |
| The Welsh Government has also opposed fracking for several years, with a "moratorium" in place since 2015, while there is a planning presumption against fracking in Northern Ireland. | The Welsh Government has also opposed fracking for several years, with a "moratorium" in place since 2015, while there is a planning presumption against fracking in Northern Ireland. |
| The suspension in England will put pressure on Cuadrilla Resources which has so far invested £270m in the country's shale gas industry. | The suspension in England will put pressure on Cuadrilla Resources which has so far invested £270m in the country's shale gas industry. |
| Cuadrilla Resources has 30 full-time workers but also employs a number of contractors. | Cuadrilla Resources has 30 full-time workers but also employs a number of contractors. |
| A spokeswoman for Cuadrilla Resources declined to comment. | A spokeswoman for Cuadrilla Resources declined to comment. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Judy Hobson, environment correspondent, North West Tonight | By Judy Hobson, environment correspondent, North West Tonight |
| The government decision will be a blow to Cuadrilla which has been exploring for shale gas in Lancashire for almost a decade. The industry said fracking had the potential to help the country become self-sufficient in gas, creating thousands of jobs. | The government decision will be a blow to Cuadrilla which has been exploring for shale gas in Lancashire for almost a decade. The industry said fracking had the potential to help the country become self-sufficient in gas, creating thousands of jobs. |
| But fracking causes earthquakes. | But fracking causes earthquakes. |
| To limit the risk, a "traffic light system" was introduced that required fracking to stop following a tremor of 0.5 or more. | To limit the risk, a "traffic light system" was introduced that required fracking to stop following a tremor of 0.5 or more. |
| This happened several times. But when it triggered a quake of 2.9 in the summer, fracking was halted indefinitely. | This happened several times. But when it triggered a quake of 2.9 in the summer, fracking was halted indefinitely. |
| Cuadrilla's chief executive Francis Egan said last year if the 0.5 limit wasn't lifted, the industry would be "strangled at birth". | Cuadrilla's chief executive Francis Egan said last year if the 0.5 limit wasn't lifted, the industry would be "strangled at birth". |
| The question for the prime minister is, what happens now? Tens of millions have been spent looking for shale gas. | The question for the prime minister is, what happens now? Tens of millions have been spent looking for shale gas. |
| But opposition to fracking has doubled over the past six years while demand for renewable sources has grown. | But opposition to fracking has doubled over the past six years while demand for renewable sources has grown. |
| Is this a genuine change in policy? Or will shale gas be back on the agenda in the future? | Is this a genuine change in policy? Or will shale gas be back on the agenda in the future? |
| Ken Cronin, chief executive of UK Onshore Oil and Gas, which represents fracking companies, said: "Going forward, we are fully committed to working closely with the Oil and Gas Authority and other relevant regulators to demonstrate that we can operate safely and environmentally responsibly." | Ken Cronin, chief executive of UK Onshore Oil and Gas, which represents fracking companies, said: "Going forward, we are fully committed to working closely with the Oil and Gas Authority and other relevant regulators to demonstrate that we can operate safely and environmentally responsibly." |
| But Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK said: "If the government reads the science and listens to the strong public opposition then fracking has no future. | But Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK said: "If the government reads the science and listens to the strong public opposition then fracking has no future. |
| "This lesson now needs to be applied to unlock onshore wind and solar, and significantly ramp up offshore wind." | "This lesson now needs to be applied to unlock onshore wind and solar, and significantly ramp up offshore wind." |