Cuadrilla Site Visited By Shale Gas Inquiry

A Member of Parliament involved in an inquiry examining the drilling of shale gas in the United Kingdom has said he does not believe there are any unacceptable risks being taken at a site in Lancashire.

Tim Yeo, Conservative MP for Suffolk South and chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, visited the site where Cuadrilla Resources is drilling for shale gas.

He said the way gas would be extracted would be carefully monitored.

Cuadrilla has sunk a test well more than 9,000ft (2,743m) down into the shale and is set to start releasing the gas.

Campaigners have raised concerns that the hydraulic fracturing extraction process which uses high-pressure liquid containing chemicals to release the gas could contaminate local ground water.

Mr Yeo, Conservative MP for Suffolk South, said: "I don't believe that there are any unacceptable risks being run here.

"Part of the purpose however of having this enquiry is to satisfy ourselves on this point, and if we thought there were any risks there to local communities, then as part of our work we would certainly say so."

Source: BBC News