A huge gas field has been found under Lincolnshire that could reportedly fuel the UK for a decade.
However, there are fears the discovery near the town of Gainsborough could spark a row. The gas would need to be extracted via fracking, and critics argue the practice distracts from net zero goals.
The energy company behind the findings, Egdon Resources, is set to officially announce the discovery at a conference this month. It claims the Gainsborough Trough field will boost the British economy by more than £100bn and lead to less reliance on energy imports. Egdon Resources added that it will create tens of thousands of jobs.
Consultants Deloitte, who analysed the test drilling results on behalf of Egdon, argued that using gas from the field rather than from abroad would have significantly less environmental impact.
The newly found field has around 480 billion cubic metres of gas—roughly seven times what the country consumes each year—which, due to declining consumption, LBC reported, could cover the UK’s gas needs for the next 10 years.
However, energy secretary Ed Miliband is among the many Labour MPs and others across the UK who oppose fracking, the technique that would need to be used to extract the gas.
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, refers to the practice of drilling deep down into the earth to extract shale gas and oil from porous subterranean rock formations by blasting them with a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure.
While the practice enables energy firms to access and exploit hard-to-reach resources and creates jobs, it has been the target of regular protests by green activists as another example of finite fossil fuels being exhausted when renewable energy alternatives should be prioritised in the interests of sustainability and arresting the progress of climate change, with Britain committed to net zero by 2030.
However, after previously relying on its North Sea gas fields, which are now in decline, the UK has found itself importing more than half of its natural gas from overseas, including from the US, Norway, and Qatar.
The country also has one of the highest energy bills in the developed world, which hits households and businesses.
Egdon’s chief executive, Mark Abbott, argued the test results from the Gainsborough Trough, which extends northwest towards Doncaster and Sheffield, are “potentially world-class”, adding: “We could access all that energy from drilling pads on the ground above, each roughly the size of one or two football fields. The land take would be far smaller than for solar farms, and the energy produced would be far greater.”
A government spokesperson told The Independent: “We intend to ban fracking for good and make Britain a clean energy superpower to protect current and future generations.
“The biggest risk to our energy security is staying dependent on fossil fuel markets and only by sprinting to clean power by 2030 can the UK take back control of its energy – and protect both family and national finances from price spikes.
“Through our plan for change, we will reignite our industrial heartlands as we seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition, and will continue to drive investment for businesses and communities in the UK.”
Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, said: “I’m going to welcome all research and if it is going to power the nation for a decade and create thousands of jobs locally and safely, then I’m all in favour for it.”
Matt Boles, a Liberal Democrat councillor for West Lindsey District Council, said: “I welcome anything that can regenerate Gainsborough, but we need to really see all the details.”
Too good to be true?
Analysis by Paul Murphy, BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Environment Correspondent
You may not have heard of the “Gainsborough Trough” before, but this vast area of land, which includes the market town of the same name, could soon be at the centre of a fiery debate about the UK’s energy policy.
According to reports, this “giant gas field” could meet the country’s energy needs for a decade, create tens of thousands of jobs and provide much-needed tax revenue.
But there are reasons why it might sound too good to be true.
Fossil fuel extraction in the UK is increasingly littered with environmental and political obstacles. In recent years there have also been numerous legal challenges.
The fundamental concern is that extracting new oil and gas will accelerate the worsening climate crisis. There will also be fierce opposition to any drilling plans that involve fracking, the high-powered shattering of underground rock using powerful chemicals to bring shale gas to the surface.
It’s unclear whether fracking techniques will be needed or deployed here, but the Labour government has been unequivocal in its position on this method, making a pre-election pledge to “ban fracking for good”.
And, be prepared for absolutely nothing at all to come of this reported discovery.
Take the example of the West Newton Oil and Gas project to the east of Hull. This was licensed in 2008 and described as “potentially one of the largest hydrocarbon fields discovered” onshore in the UK.
Seventeen years has passed and nothing of commercial significance has been extracted from that site in East Yorkshire.
This article contains information published by The Independent and BBC News
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