The disclosure comes after the Prime Minister acknowledged that there was “merit” in the idea of the temporary “use of hydrocarbons in this country” after MPs pressed him to “look again at fracking”. Sources insisted that he had not changed his mind on the issue, having pushed back against a suggestion by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Brexit opportunities minister, that the ban should be reversed.
The 2019 moratorium was announced by Andrea Leadsom, then business secretary, in November of that year “on the basis of the disturbance caused to residents living near Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road site in Lancashire” and the “latest scientific analysis” for the OGA.
But several other reports, published months later without fanfare on the OGA’s website, prompted calls last night for the decision to be reversed.
‘Hang their heads in shame’
On Saturday night, Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, said: “There’s a war on which appears to be possible only because Europe is, as the PM said, addicted to Russian gas. While Putin bears responsibility for the ultimate war crime of initiating a war of aggression, everyone who allowed our shale gas to remain in the ground on a false pretence should hang their heads in shame as the Ukrainian people fight and die for their country.
“Boris should immediately stop the concreting in of current shale wells and go for gas with all the vigour of a national war effort, which this very nearly is.
“Our civilisation may depend upon it.”
The “disturbance” cited by ministers in Nov 2019 appeared to refer to a magnitude 2.9 tremor which led to the suspension of operations at the Preston New Road site in Aug 2019.
But one of the reports published by the OGA states that the effect equated to some 50 buildings experiencing “damage state one” (DS1) , the lowest of five damage states, which involves either “no structural damage” or “slight non-structural damage which is manifested through hairline cracks in walls and damage to plaster”.
The report, a final version of which was submitted to the OGA in July 2020, adds that the British Geological Survey “assigned the event as intensity VI [“slightly damaging”] due, in part at least, to some reports of minor cosmetic damage (DS1)”.
It adds: “This intensity is unusual for an event of this magnitude.” An average “of 52 buildings at DS1 was calculated. This is consistent with reports made to the BGS.
“It is noted, however, that these ‘did-you-feel-it?’ reports are self-submitted online and therefore unverified.”
‘Bring energy security’
The report also addresses earlier magnitude 1.1 and 1.5 tremors at the Preston New Road site, stating: “Generally, the motions can be considered as almost imperceptible and well below the level of vibration that people experience going about everyday activities.”
Craig Mackinlay, who chairs the net zero scrutiny group of Conservative MPs, which now has some 50 members, added: “With the UK and Europe facing a real energy cost and supply crisis, we need to ask ourselves which is preferable: further financing of the Russian war machine through gas purchases or, as now even the OGA is saying, accept the small, barely perceptible inconveniences of onshore fracking which would bring energy security, jobs, investment, tax revenues, lower prices, balance of payments benefits and CO2 savings. It should be an easy answer.”
Francis Egan, chief executive of Cuadrilla Resources, which ran the Preston New Road site, said: “The OGA’s own expert reports demonstrate how unscientific the moratorium is. It’s time we followed the science and unleashed a British shale gas renaissance.”
A government spokesman said: “Fracking would have no effect on domestic energy prices in the near term. To boost energy security, we need to move away from expensive fossil fuels and generate more cheap, clean power in the UK.”
