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 The oil and gas industry uses deep injection wells to dispose of
wastewater when drilling for shale, but some have been linked to
earthquakes in the United States.
The hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, technology required to
release gas trapped in rocks has been used at only one well in
Britain.
A Cuadrilla Resources project near Blackpool, northwest England, was
abandoned after it triggered an earth tremor that resulted in an
18-month fracking ban, which ended in 2012.
"The disposal of wastewater by deep injection ... should be avoided
in the United Kingdom ... particularly where the nature of the
geology is unsuitable," said a report by the Task Force on Shale Gas
examining environmental and health effects.
The task force was set up last year to examine the risks and
benefits of shale gas extraction and says it is independent of its
funders - Cuadrilla, Centrica, Total, Weir Group, Dow Chemical and
GDF Suez E&P UK.
The task force said a national advisory committee should be
established to monitor data from shale gas operations, oversee
issues related to public health and advise the government.
This should be separate from an independent shale regulator proposed
by the task force in March.
In addition, shale companies need to disclose fully the chemicals
used in their operations and monitor surface water, air and soil
quality when a potential site is identified.
"Green completions" - whereby firms capture gas at the well head
instead of releasing it into the atmosphere - should also be
mandatory to minimize methane emissions.
"The evidence shows that many of the concerns associated with
fracking are the result of poor practice elsewhere in the world,
such as poorly constructed wells," said Chris Smith, chair of the
task force.
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"It is therefore crucial that stringent regulations are established
in the UK, as set out in our recommendations, in order to meet these
legitimate concerns."
Last month, local government officials rejected two fracking
projects in northwest England due to the noise impact, dealing a
blow to Britain's government-supported shale gas sector.
Other countries, such as Scotland, France, and most recently the
Netherlands, have banned shale gas drilling.
The task force will publish two more reports this year covering
climate change and economics. A final report on the potential risks
and benefits of shale gas for Britain will be published next spring.
(Editing by Dale Hudson)
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