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Cuadrilla scraps plan to frack at Balcombe site Cuadrilla scraps plan to frack at Balcombe site
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Cuadrilla is to scrap plans to use controversial fracking technology near the village of Balcombe in Sussex – but only because the rocks at its site already contain natural fractures.Cuadrilla is to scrap plans to use controversial fracking technology near the village of Balcombe in Sussex – but only because the rocks at its site already contain natural fractures.
Balcombe was the site of weeks of protest last summer, as Cuadrilla – the UK's fracking pioneer – moved in to drill an exploratory well to see whether oil could be produced from the site. At the height of the protests, thousands of people joined in the march on the site, and the direct actions taken included protesters blocking the road and chaining themselves to barriers. There were dozens of arrests, including that of the Brighton Green MP, Caroline Lucas.Balcombe was the site of weeks of protest last summer, as Cuadrilla – the UK's fracking pioneer – moved in to drill an exploratory well to see whether oil could be produced from the site. At the height of the protests, thousands of people joined in the march on the site, and the direct actions taken included protesters blocking the road and chaining themselves to barriers. There were dozens of arrests, including that of the Brighton Green MP, Caroline Lucas.
Cuadrilla had made it clear from the start of its operations that its first plan would be to drill a vertical well at the site to see if oil could be extracted that way, and that if that proved difficult a horizontal well would also be drilled. Fracking would only be used if both those methods proved ineffective, the company said.Cuadrilla had made it clear from the start of its operations that its first plan would be to drill a vertical well at the site to see if oil could be extracted that way, and that if that proved difficult a horizontal well would also be drilled. Fracking would only be used if both those methods proved ineffective, the company said.
On Thursday, the company wrote to residents of Balcombe and released a statement saying that it was applying for an extension to its planning permission for an exploratory well, but added: "The analysis of the samples we obtained from the exploration well confirmed that the target rock underneath Lower Stumble is naturally fractured. The presence of these natural fractures and the nature of the rock means that we do not intend to hydraulically fracture the exploration well at Lower Stumble now or in the future."On Thursday, the company wrote to residents of Balcombe and released a statement saying that it was applying for an extension to its planning permission for an exploratory well, but added: "The analysis of the samples we obtained from the exploration well confirmed that the target rock underneath Lower Stumble is naturally fractured. The presence of these natural fractures and the nature of the rock means that we do not intend to hydraulically fracture the exploration well at Lower Stumble now or in the future."
Green campaigners said the scrapping of the fracking plans did not erase the problem, and said new fossil fuels would increase the threat from climate change. Friends of the Earth's South East campaigner Brenda Pollack said: "While residents will undoubtedly be relieved that Cuadrilla has ruled out fracking at its Balcombe site, the community still faces the prospect of significant industrial activity on its doorstep. Local people will want more information about Cuadrilla's plans and the potential impacts on their community and environment."Green campaigners said the scrapping of the fracking plans did not erase the problem, and said new fossil fuels would increase the threat from climate change. Friends of the Earth's South East campaigner Brenda Pollack said: "While residents will undoubtedly be relieved that Cuadrilla has ruled out fracking at its Balcombe site, the community still faces the prospect of significant industrial activity on its doorstep. Local people will want more information about Cuadrilla's plans and the potential impacts on their community and environment."
She said: "The threat of fracking elsewhere in Sussex has not disappeared, with applications for drilling in Fernhurst and Wisborough Green by Celtique Energy. With mounting evidence of the threat climate change poses to our environment and economy, we should be developing clean energy solutions, not more dirty fossil fuels."She said: "The threat of fracking elsewhere in Sussex has not disappeared, with applications for drilling in Fernhurst and Wisborough Green by Celtique Energy. With mounting evidence of the threat climate change poses to our environment and economy, we should be developing clean energy solutions, not more dirty fossil fuels."
Vanessa Vine of Frack-Free Sussex, who lives four miles from the site, told the Guardian many people were still highly concerned, and that the difficulty of defining fracking meant that some of the technologies that are still likely to be used at the site amounted to fracking by other terms. She said: "This unconventional fossil fuel technology is damaging to communities, human health and wild ecology at every turn. The impact on road infrastructure will be a nightmare and – if allowed to continue to production stage – the methane flaring will emit dangerous particulates into the air that will adversely affect people living nearby and the methane leakage will contribute dreadfully to greenhouse emissions."Vanessa Vine of Frack-Free Sussex, who lives four miles from the site, told the Guardian many people were still highly concerned, and that the difficulty of defining fracking meant that some of the technologies that are still likely to be used at the site amounted to fracking by other terms. She said: "This unconventional fossil fuel technology is damaging to communities, human health and wild ecology at every turn. The impact on road infrastructure will be a nightmare and – if allowed to continue to production stage – the methane flaring will emit dangerous particulates into the air that will adversely affect people living nearby and the methane leakage will contribute dreadfully to greenhouse emissions."
She vowed to continue to fight the plans: "If permission is given for Cuadrilla to recommence operation in Balcombe, their shareholders will come to regret it bitterly and wish they had invested wholly in safe renewable energy technologies instead. People have had enough of being lied to and told that international frack dealers have our communities' best interests at heart."She vowed to continue to fight the plans: "If permission is given for Cuadrilla to recommence operation in Balcombe, their shareholders will come to regret it bitterly and wish they had invested wholly in safe renewable energy technologies instead. People have had enough of being lied to and told that international frack dealers have our communities' best interests at heart."
Juliette Harris, a mother of two who has lived in the village for 35 years, said the site would still be a nuisance, and accused Cuadrilla of ignoring many of residents' concerns. She said: "[Cuadrilla's announcement] does not remove the fact that this would be unconventional extraction. Many experts argue the flow testing is little short of fracking, you will still have 4x A4 pages of chemicals which go into the drilling muds, you will still have flares, air pollution trucks, non-stop drilling, still a desperately under resourced Environment Agency making a couple of visits to the site every few months, and if last year is anything to go by, a non existent presence by the health and safety executive and a county council that sits on its hands and ignores any breaches."Juliette Harris, a mother of two who has lived in the village for 35 years, said the site would still be a nuisance, and accused Cuadrilla of ignoring many of residents' concerns. She said: "[Cuadrilla's announcement] does not remove the fact that this would be unconventional extraction. Many experts argue the flow testing is little short of fracking, you will still have 4x A4 pages of chemicals which go into the drilling muds, you will still have flares, air pollution trucks, non-stop drilling, still a desperately under resourced Environment Agency making a couple of visits to the site every few months, and if last year is anything to go by, a non existent presence by the health and safety executive and a county council that sits on its hands and ignores any breaches."
If permissions is granted for further tests, it will not be until they are completed that Cuadrilla can be sure that the well will produce oil at a commercially viable rate. A well was drilled on the site in the 1980s by Conoco, but abandoned because it was not economical.If permissions is granted for further tests, it will not be until they are completed that Cuadrilla can be sure that the well will produce oil at a commercially viable rate. A well was drilled on the site in the 1980s by Conoco, but abandoned because it was not economical.
Cuadrilla has three other sites in the north-west of England, but most work has been stopped because of a variety of problems, from small earth tremors to migrating birds. Those sites are for shale gas, while at Balcombe shale oil is the goal. Cuadrilla has three other sites in the north-west of England, but most work has been stopped because of a variety of problems, from small earth tremors to migrating birds. Those sites are for shale gas, while at Balcombe oil is the goal.
Fracking is controversial because it has been associated with air pollution and releases of methane in the US, and in the UK the Environment Agency has warned it could put stress on water supplies, particularly in the heavily populated south-east. Many green campaigners are also concerned that as the world's greenhouse gas emissions increase, the UK should be concentrating on renewable energy instead of new sources of fossil fuels. But proponents say shale gas is lower carbon than coal, could create jobs and could provide an indigenous energy resource as North Sea oil and gas run out.Fracking is controversial because it has been associated with air pollution and releases of methane in the US, and in the UK the Environment Agency has warned it could put stress on water supplies, particularly in the heavily populated south-east. Many green campaigners are also concerned that as the world's greenhouse gas emissions increase, the UK should be concentrating on renewable energy instead of new sources of fossil fuels. But proponents say shale gas is lower carbon than coal, could create jobs and could provide an indigenous energy resource as North Sea oil and gas run out.
Cuadrilla's statement said: "In 2013, Cuadrilla drilled a conventional exploration well at the Lower Stumble site, drilling horizontally for some 1,700 feet through the Micrite formation (a type of limestone) at a depth of approximately 2,350 feet below ground level. The company was expecting to and did indeed find oil in the Micrite. However, without flow testing Cuadrilla cannot be sure at what rate the oil may flow to the surface. The new application to flow test includes revised planning boundary lines showing the extent of the horizontal well being tested, and will effectively cover the same well testing work scope that was permitted activity in Cuadrilla's previous planning permission. These proposed flow testing operations are significantly smaller in scope than drilling operations. The main testing operations would last some three to five weeks after which the well would be closed in and monitored for up to 60 days."Cuadrilla's statement said: "In 2013, Cuadrilla drilled a conventional exploration well at the Lower Stumble site, drilling horizontally for some 1,700 feet through the Micrite formation (a type of limestone) at a depth of approximately 2,350 feet below ground level. The company was expecting to and did indeed find oil in the Micrite. However, without flow testing Cuadrilla cannot be sure at what rate the oil may flow to the surface. The new application to flow test includes revised planning boundary lines showing the extent of the horizontal well being tested, and will effectively cover the same well testing work scope that was permitted activity in Cuadrilla's previous planning permission. These proposed flow testing operations are significantly smaller in scope than drilling operations. The main testing operations would last some three to five weeks after which the well would be closed in and monitored for up to 60 days."