North Yorkshire Council Rejects Controversial Mini Fracking Plan
North Yorkshire Council has decisively rejected plans for a “mini fracking” site in Burniston near Scarborough after a wave of local opposition. The developer, Europa Oil and Gas, immediately announced its intention to appeal, defending mini fracking as a “completely” safe method.
What Is Mini Fracking and Why the Concern?
Mini fracking, technically known as a proppant squeeze, involves injecting fluid to extract gas but at a smaller scale than full hydraulic fracturing. Europa estimates this technique could unlock at least 41 billion cubic feet of gas from the sandstone beneath the site, enough to power approximately 130,000 homes at peak production.
Despite these potential gains, councillors expressed deep worries about the environmental impact on the fragile coastline and the local tourism economy. They stated they were “minded” to oppose the project pending further guidance from the central government.
Fracking Moratorium and the Ongoing Debate
Fracking in England has been effectively banned since 2019 after tremors registering up to 2.9 magnitude occurred near Preston New Road in Lancashire. However, the current moratorium does not explicitly include mini fracking operations, a loophole campaigners want closed to prevent seismic risks.
Multiple mini fracking proposals are advancing through planning systems across England, including sites in West Newton, East Yorkshire, and Wressle, North Lincolnshire. According to a 2017 study, the UK has conducted an estimated 100-150 onshore mini fracking operations without recorded tremors.
Europa CEO Will Holland emphasized to Sky News that mini fracking has proven safe, stating, “There’s been no seismic events during proppant squeeze operations in the UK. The seismic activity happened only with shale fracking, which is a different process.”
Uncertain Risks and Unknown Reserves
While mini fracking carries a theoretically lower risk of triggering earthquakes compared to full-scale shale fracking, earthquakes remain unpredictable. Britain’s geological response to any fracking variant remains poorly understood. Additionally, the volume of gas recoverable through mini fracking is unknown but expected to be significantly less than major offshore fields.
The Burniston proposal alone sparked around 1,400 formal objections, highlighting strong community resistance.
Campaigners Demand Government Action on the ‘Loophole’
The Labour government has pledged to cement the fracking ban permanently. Yet, environmental campaigners, including Friends of the Earth, are pressing ministers to broaden the ban to cover all forms of fracking, including proppant squeeze operations.
Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Tony Bosworth warned, “Ministers must protect communities from fracking by the back door by ensuring the ban includes all types of fracking – including proppant squeeze.”
Government officials have, however, indicated no immediate plans to extend the moratorium. A spokesperson affirmed, “We will ban fracking for good and make Britain a clean energy superpower to protect current and future generations.”
While Labour’s manifesto commits to ending new oil and gas projects, it also promises to respect existing licenses for exploration, meaning some developments could proceed despite the ban.
