Fracking "highly likely" to be cause of Blackpool earthquakes

Why oh why are so many people so irrational :(. These 'minor quakes' are not even minor - thousands of times weaker than something capable of damage. Did any real person even feel them?

I do, however, absolutely agree that the gas companies should pay for any damages. Luckily that will probably amount to nothing.
 
Hotwired said:
I don't see the problem.

It's nowhere near me and makes money.
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This :p The whole process of pumping stuff into oil/gas wells to extract more has been going on for donkeys years in industry - hydraulic fracturing of smaller sites is now much more economically viable given the prices of (and demand for) oil & gas. Full steam ahead I say - companies probably want to be a little bit more transparent about their chemicals though.

robskinner said:
My view is closely monitor and allow, but also need to approve the chemicals being pumped underground and publish them.
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They do - companies have to abide by the EU regulations stating that they must register all of their chemicals in the REACH database. That should make all the fracking chemicals used much more transparent since the public can access the database, and should calm people down about the risks of the chemicals used. Downside of course is that your company's top-secret fracking fluid can then be seen and exactly reformulated by your competitors!
 
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Dave said:
They do - companies have to abide by the EU regulations stating that they must register all of their chemicals in the REACH database. That should make all the fracking chemicals used much more transparent since the public can access the database, and should calm people down about the risks of the chemicals used. Downside of course is that your company's top-secret fracking fluid can then be seen and exactly reformulated by your competitors!
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Can you link a source?

All I could find said that they were being encouraged to, not that they have to.
 
As I said in the other thread, Cuadrilla has actually revealed exactly all the additives it uses during their process. At the Weeton site a 99.75 percent water/sand mix was used, with very dilute concentrations of hydrochloric acid, biocide and polyacrylamide. Non of these are associated with health issues.
 
I live slightly north of Blackpool - I'm all for the fracking continuing - the extra energy reserves and engineering/tech jobs boost will be great for the local economy, what with the lay offs at BAe Warton.

Oh, and for the record, no, I've not felt any of the "quakes".
 
Azza said:
As I said in the other thread, Cuadrilla has actually revealed exactly all the additives it uses during their process. At the Weeton site a 99.75 percent water/sand mix was used, with very dilute concentrations of hydrochloric acid, biocide and polyacrylamide. Non of these are associated with health issues.
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Sauce?

Just genuinely interested as I can't find this just speculation and generalisation.
 
robskinner said:
Can you link a source?

All I could find said that they were being encouraged to, not that they have to.
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You've got the ECC site or the UK HSE. I'm not massively clued up on it as I don't work on the chemicals side - the first registration I believe was getting a database of original substances and the second registration (ongoing) is supposed to account for more substances used and produced, including things like intermediates which will never actually leave the plant. It's being phased-in over this decade (I believe) with substances produced in greater quantities having to be registered first; fracking chemicals are mixtures of chemicals which are probably produced in large quantities but the companies will have to disclose exactly what chemicals are in the mixtures they use. I have no idea how the access-side of things will be - again, I'm a dumb computational guy rather than a chemicals guy :p I presume it will either be freely available to companies or to individuals via a FOI request.

edit / Wiki has a pretty decent description, should have checked that first!
 
I came in here expecting discussion on Quake fragging. I am disappoint :(

However, on a serious note... the risk appears to be of tremours not eartquakes. So I'd be ok to live with that for the benefit of energy.
 
cainer said:
as its a controversial way of getting energy i say we leave it there untill its realy needed
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It is needed - do you not know how much gas we import?

As far as concerns about water quality - fylde gets all its drinking water from the lake district so its not a concern. There are no aquifer wells on the fylde.
 
[FnG]magnolia;20463032 said:
Christchurch and Japan say hi.
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:D

Was near an earthquake damaged high-rise being dismantled earlier this week when a concrete slab broke off and fell four floors. Felt like at least a m3 half a block away! :eek:
 
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