Britain suspended fracking until further notice …

The government of Britain announced an indefinite suspension throughout its territory of the practice of fracking for the extraction of gas or oil. The measure was taken before the inability to predict earthquakes This practice can be at the center of criticism from environmental organizations.

The Minister of Business and Energy, Andrea Leadsom, confirmed that this decision was based on a report from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) investigating seismic activity on Preston Road New , in Lancashire (northwestern England). "It's clear that we can not exclude more unacceptable consequences for the local population", Stressed the British official in the statement that canceled the hydraulic fracturing "With immediate effect".

The study "revealed that it is currently not possible to accurately predict the likelihood or magnitude of earthquakes related to fracking operations, according to the Ministry of Energy. The measure will be extended, in principle "Until new convincing evidence is provided".

The British government has also stressed that exploration in England can only be continued if science shows that it is safe, sustainable and that it disturbs as little as possible those who live and work nearby.

What is fracking?

The process of hydraulic fracturing involves creating underground cracks and infiltrating a mixture of water, sand and chemicals to allow the extraction of gas or oil from within the rock.

This is a controversial technique because of its environmental impact. Activists praised the decision, although some called for a permanent ban on the practice,

The UK had supported this technique in the hope of reducing its reliance on gasmainly imported from Norway and Qatar. With this objective, the government had planned in 2016 that 20 wells could be opened from this year until the middle of 2020.

To date, only three wells have been drilled, without starting to exploit shale gas and without the authorities knowing what quantities could be extracted in the long term, says a report by the National Audit Office (NAO). English), the body that controls public spending.

According to the NAO, Industry professionals attribute this delay to strict UK regulations on seismic tremors caused by hydraulic fracturing. This rule allows you to temporarily suspend fracking when an earthquake exceeding 0.5 on the Richter scale occurs as a result of extraction operations.

In fact, last August, a strong earthquake caused the company Cuadrilla to suspend indefinitely the drilling of Preston New Road, near Blackpool, which was the only project underway in the United Kingdom.