Tony Grayling Presentation 18 06 12(2)

8/11/2019 Tony Grayling Presentation 18 06 12(2)

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Regulation of shale gas extraction

in Great Britain

Geological Society briefing

London, 18 June 2012

Tony Grayling, Head of Climate Change and Communities


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Regulatory bodies

Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)

Environment Agency (England and Wales) (EA)

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Local Authorities (minerals planning) (LA)


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DECC checks with

HSE/EA/SEPA

issues well consent

DECC:online wellapplication for


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Regulation in Great Britain - development

Exploration Well success

Commercial development

EA/SEPAStatutory

Consultee

Local Authority

Planning Permission

DECC checks with

HSE/EA/SEPA ,

issues Field

Development

Consent, setting

production, vent

and flare limits

DECC:Field

Development Plan

HSE

21 day

Notification/

Well integrity

EA/SEPA Notices

Abstraction licences

Discharge & RSR permits


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Shale basins and areas licensed for

petroleum exploration in Great Britain


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Current proposals for shale gas

exploration in England and Wales

Five sites

in Lancashire -

CuadrillaThree sites in

South Wales,

Neath, Maesteg,Llandow - Coastal

Oil and Gas Ltd.

Woodnesborough,

Kent -

Coastal Oil and

Gas Ltd.

Possibly three sites

Mendip Hills:

UK Methane andEden Energy

Balcombe,

W Sussex:

Cuadrilla

Beverley

Rathlin Energy


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Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Offshore Installations andWells (Design and Construction,etc) Regulations 1996

Integrity of wells

Independent check

The Borehole Sites andOperations Regulations 1995

21 days notification before

drilling, abandonment or workover


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Clean water

PossibleAquifer

Confining

Layers

Water table

To river

or STW

Gas

emissions toatmosphere

Production

PlatformStorage

tanks

Production

Zone

Environmental risks of shale gas extraction

Contamination of

groundwater due to

mobilization of solutesor methane

Contamination of

groundwater due to

poor well design orfailure

Fugitive

emissions of

methane

Contamination of

soil, surface orgroundwater due

to spills of

chemicals or

return fluids

Inadequatetransport or

treatment of

waste waters

Impact on water

resources from

water used in

hydraulic fracturing

Inadequate

transport or

processing of

produced gas

Inadequate

treatment/disposal

of drill cuttings


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Environmental controls (England and Wales)

Risk Controls

Groundwaterpollution

Water Framework Directive and Groundwater Daughter

Directive through the Water Resources Act andEnvironmental Permitting Regulations (EPR): Regulatedischarges to groundwater, require disclosure of chemicals.

Surface spills Planning regime for site construction standards. EPR

regulates discharges to surface water and groundwater.

Disposal of usedfracking fluid

Mining Waste Directive through EPR: Waste managementplan must be approved by the Environment Agency. EuratomTreaty if naturally occurring radioactive materials, via EPR.

Over abstraction

of water

Abstraction licensing under the Water Resources Act.

Fugitivemethaneemissions

Borehole regulations (HSE) to protect human health.Conditions under Petroleum Licences (DECC) for flaring andventing. Mining Waste Directive may apply.


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Other environmental impacts


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Environment Agency position

Current regulation is adequate for small scaleexploration but keeping under review

Taking a responsible and risk based approach

Undertaking further work to ensure we have all theinformation we need

Working closely with UK and Welsh governmentsand other regulators


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Next steps

Awaiting public comments on review of seismicactivity and DECCs responseUndertaking a detailed environmental assessment, inpartnership with DECC, Defra and other regulators

Reviewing HSEs borehole guidanceReviewing methods for monitoring and controllingfugitive methane emissionsBuilding contacts with environmental protectionagencies in Europe and the US

Examining best practice in environmental regulation inEurope (via EU technical working group)

Documents

Tony Grayling Presentation 18 06 12(2)