The Carbon Brief: How much shale gas has the UK got?
How much shale gas lies under the surface of the UK - and how much will be extracted over the next two decades? Over the weekend the Independent claimed that more than 60 per cent of the UK countryside could be exploited for shale gas - a statement the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) dismissed as "nonsense". So what does the data show?
The question is particularly relevant this week as the chancellor George Osborne is due to announce the government's gas generation strategy as part of this Thursday's autumn budget statement. And according to the Financial Times, he will support a greater expansion of gas fired power stations than previously expected. The media are also reporting that Osborne will create a new office for shale gas to " co-ordinate and speed up production" - as well as a new "generous" tax regime to stimulate investment.
Exploiting 64 per cent of Britain?
Parts of the media have frequently discussed how much shale gas the UK will be able to exploit - and how quickly - and they haven't been shy of making some wild estimates. On Saturday the front page of the Independent added another number to the mix, claiming:
"More than 60 per cent of the British countryside could be exploited for shale gas, government documents show".
But in response, DECC says:
"It is too early to assess the potential for shale gas but the suggestion more than 60 per cent of the UK countryside could be exploited is nonsense."