UK releases new shale gas reserves estimates

New reports have suggested that the UK is sitting on a vast supply of shale gas, which could help the country to avoid an energy crisis. The British Geological Survey has released new estimates that reveal that natural gas reserves in the north of England could hold up to 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas.

The British Geological Survey released new information on the Bowland Shale, which is found across northern and central England, suggesting that it is around double the previously estimated size. In total the Bowland Shale covers 11 English counties and offers the opportunity for a natural gas boom, as seen in the US.

Michael Fallon, energy minister, said: "Shale gas represents an exciting new potential energy resource for the UK, and could play an important role in our energy mix. The next step for industry is to establish how much gas is technically and commercially recoverable."

Although less than the full amount of natural gas found in the rocks in this area will be recoverable, the use of hydraulic fracturing - fracking - could ultimately supply the country with enough gas to cover around 47 years of total gas usage throughout the entirety of the UK. It is not yet confirmed whether the process of fracking will be possible across the Bowland Shale area but if it is, recovering only ten per cent of the estimated natural reserve could provide vast amounts of energy for the country.

Professor Richard Davies, director of the Durham Energy Institute at Durham University, said: "Resources are theoretical volumes of gas underground. Reserves are the volumes that can be brought to the surface economically. The UK offshore to date has produced approximately 88 trillion cubic feet of gas. Therefore, if only ten per cent of the 1,300 trillion cubic feet resource reported by the British Geological Society is recovered, it will be more than has been produced to date from all offshore fields."