Fracking in search of oil

[Suezy]

Will write more on this tomorrow.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/6443633/Fracking-the-new-nuke-free

• Tweet

[Suezy]

Fracking probe announced
PAUL GORMAN Last updated 14:04 28/03/2012

A GREEN EYE: Parliamentary environment commissioner Dr Jan Wright.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is about to launch an official investigation into the controversial mining practice known as fracking.

Fracking - hydraulic fracturing - involves injecting chemicals into rocks to fracture them in an attempt to release oil and natural gas.

Some countries have banned the practice after claims it can generate earthquakes and because of worries about the chemicals used.

Commissioner Jan Wright has stepped up her initial research to a full-scale investigation.

Preliminary work indicated a need to examine the issue closely, she said this afternoon.

"The work that has been done by my office thus far shows a substantive case for an official investigation under the Environment Act,'' she said.

''Over the next few months, my staff and I will conduct this investigation and produce a report to Parliament.

"I realise this is a hugely contentious issue and I would hope to have a report tabled in the House before the end of this year."

Since 2003, about 30 wells have been fracked in New Zealand.

The Hawke's Bay Regional, Waimakariri District, Kaikoura District, Christchurch City and Selwyn District councils have all called for an immediate ban on the practice pending full investigation of potential risks.

The Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board has asked the Christchurch City Council to call on other New Zealand local authorities to declare their jurisdictions fracking-free.

The Green Party has urged the Government to put in place a fracking moratorium until the investigation was concluded.
 
Green Party energy spokesman Gareth Hughes said until the commissioner could assure the public that fracking was safe, the Government should implement a nationwide fracking moratorium.

"Growing concern over fracking in New Zealand mirrors growing international concern. Of the 10 countries that have fracked, seven have adopted full country, state or region moratoriums in place and only New Zealand, China and Ireland have not," he said.
 
New Zealand did not need "to resort to fracking" when there were other greener energy alternatives.
 
"For example, instead of selling off the best of our last remaining SOEs, we can keep them and refocus their largely domestic operations towards booming renewable-energy export markets," he said.
Copied from The Press.

Over the last few years I have done a lot of research  on his subject and have quite a file that I will now send to Dr Jan Wright for her information.  Most of all my research has been done overseas and would hate the thought that this fracking will be done in NZ in a very seismic country.  We also have some of the best water in the wold in our aquifers here and certainly do not want that polluted either.  I am not a Greenie - but not interested in the politics of the issue - but at least she has stood up calling for an official investigation on the subject.

[Suezy]

Anti-fracking concert, protest to coincide with inquiry
VICKI ANDERSON Last updated 05:00 29/03/2012

A concert and peaceful protest against controversial mining practices in Canterbury next month will coincide with a newly-announced parliamentary inquiry into fracking.

Karen de Latour, spokeswoman for the Bring Change group that is opposed to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and deep-sea drilling in Canterbury, said yesterday the free "concert and peaceful revolution" would be held at the Clearwater Resort on April 28. It will include performances by Kiwi musicians Tiki Taane, Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison and Minuit, along with Christchuch bands.

Last month, the Government rejected the Christchurch City Council's call for a moratorium on fracking in Canterbury.

The practice involves injecting a mix of water, sand and chemicals into rocks at high pressure to fracture them to release oil and natural gas. It has been banned in some countries after concerns over water and air pollution, and has been linked to earthquakes.

Yesterday, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright announced the official investigation is about to be launched.

Geophysicist Michael Hastings, who has more than 20 years experience monitoring micro-quakes and who consults for oil and gas companies, told The Press Canterbury should invest in faultline research before considering introducing fracking.

"I support fracking if it's done properly. I like driving my car and don't want to have to pay $10 a litre to do so," he said. "But to introduce fracking in Canterbury without thorough research and caution is simply reckless and irresponsible.

"You've got an area that is tectonically active. You can't just start injecting vast amounts of fluids without understanding where you're putting those fluids.

"There's no way of being certain that by injecting large amounts of this waste fluid that you won't induce a moderate to large-scale earthquake."

De Latour said Bring Change welcomed the announcement of an inquiry.

"We're thrilled, but we're still calling for a moratorium on fracking in seismically active Canterbury," she said.

Bernie Napp, senior policy analyst for Straterra, the industry group for the New Zealand resource and mining sectors, said the industry had nothing to hide.

"Overall, I am disappointed and fascinated at the same time over how this debate has played out. Well-meaning, intelligent yet unknowledgeable people have removed sanity and reason from the discussion," he said.

copied from The Press

Love the last sentence. I am obviously unknowledgeable  - removed from sanity and reason to discuss - and it wont create earthquakes in our very seismic Canterbury (or for fact anywhere in NZ at this present stage) or pollution of our precious excellent water supply.

[ato2]

Came late to this: I think that we have had fracking here in Taranaki for around a decade, now.

[Sara]

I don't know that much about this process, but from what I have heard it might be dangerous for this country that is so rone to earthquake activity. OR am I barking up the wrong tree?