Shale Gas Extraction to be Discussed by House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee 

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will next week hold evidence sessions with Christopher Wright, US energy entrepreneur and CEO of Liberty Resources and Alan Seatter, Deputy Director General – Environment, at the EU Commission.

In the first session with Mr Wright the Committee will question him on the American experience of shale gas extraction and what lessons the UK can learn from it, whether the higher population density of the UK as opposed to America makes shale gas extraction more difficult and how the legal position in the UK, where minerals underground belong to the Crown rather than the landowner whose land they are found below, impacts on the likelihood of rapid development of a productive shale gas industry in this country.

The Committee will then hear from Mr Seatter and ask how far European legislation impacts on the production of shale gas and oil in Member States. The Committee will also ask how recent changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive might affect the development of shale gas and oil production in the EU.

The evidence sessions start at 3.35pm on Tuesday 14 January in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords. It is expected that the session with Mr Seatter will begin at around 4.30pm.