This article is from page 2 of the 2011-11-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
TREMORS resulting from the extraction of shale natural gas in west Clare could cause major structural damage to some of Clare’s key tourist attractions, including the Cliffs of Moher and the Doolin Cave. That is according to No Fracking Clare, a group set up to oppose plans to extract shale from underneath west Clare.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has awarded a license option to UKbased company Enegi-oil to search for shale gas deposits in a large section of west Clare. The area, which is being described as the Clare Basin, covers thousands of acres between Quilty, Kilbaha and Labasheeda.
Should exploration prove success- ful, a technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, will be used to create large cracks in the bedrock at the drill sites by pumping large amounts of highly pressurised fluids underground.
According to No Fracking Clare, this process has resulted in large tremors or mini-earthquakes in other parts of the world.
“Whilst pollution of water and air are major concerns associated with fracking, another big concern for Clare is earth tremors in the vicin ity of the Cliffs of Moher, Loophead and the Burren, especially Doolin Cave with the biggest stalactite in Europe,” said Bob Wilson of No Fracking Clare.
“Apart from the dangers to people living, working in and visiting these places, there is also the threat to tourism which is now seen as one of our best potential growth areas. We live in a beautiful and unique place here in the west of Ireland and our potential for tourism is directly related to our landscape and environment. In my opinion, fracking ought to be banned in Ireland altogether certainly in Clare.”
Enegi-oil have carried out research on a well drilled in Doonbeg in 1962. This analysis identified the presence of a large deposit of shale gas be tween 800 and 1,100 metres underneath the ground.
The company has put together a timetable for their on-site research in west Clare, which will determine the best drilling locations for extracting the shale, but it is as yet unclear when this process could begin.
A spokesperson from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources told The Clare People that the current license option allows Enegi-oil to conduct “shallow geological sampling” but exclude major exploration drills at this time.
“In the event that hydraulic fracturing was proposed as part of a possible future onshore exploration or production programme, it would be subject to environmental impact as sessment, including an appropriate public consultation phase,” said the spokesperson.
The Clare People contacted Enegioil in relation to this article but no response was received at the time of going to press.