Britain: Firm admits fracking caused earthquakes

December 3, 2011
Issue 

Cuadrilla Resources, which is exploring for natural shale gas in north-west England, has admitted its use of the notorious process of “fracking” was responsible for earthquakes in the region this year, BusinessInsider.com said on November 7.

Fracking is a dangerous process involving fracturing rock with pressurised liquid. Some of the health and environmental dangers of the process were revealed by the film Gasland, about the impact of the practice in the United States.

BusinessInsider.com reports that Cuadrilla Resources admitted: "The hydraulic fracturing of Cuadrilla’s Preese Hall-1 well did trigger a number of minor seismic events.

"The seismic events were due to an unusual combination of geology at the well site coupled with the pressure exerted by water injection as part of operations."

The company claimed the chances of it occurring again were slim.

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