Europe is trying to decide whether to accept the new methods of hydraulic fracturing - or fracking - for shale gas that have dramatically increased gas production in the US in recent years. Some countries like Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom are keen to hit the fast forward button, while others like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France and Germany are hitting pause. The European Commission, in a 22 January policy paper, has left it up to each member…
What is fracking?
Fracking involves injecting a compound of water and sand (99.5%) and diluted chemical additives into the earth at very high pressure. This creates small fractures in the underground rock formations. Gas is extracted from this process and sent to processing plants to prepare it for insertion into pipelines. Fracking techniques have been used for decades, including in Europe. But where the new wave of fracking differs from older techniques is its focus on extracting gas from shale rock formations. Environmentalists say that the so-called unconventional fracking techniques have a more corrosive impact. One of their biggest concerns is with the "flowback" of the fracturing chemicals, water and gas to the earth's surface.
