[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-15550458

It is "highly probable" that shale gas test drilling triggered earth tremors in Lancashire, a study has found.

But the report, commissioned by energy firm Cuadrilla, also said the quakes were due to an "unusual combination of geology at the well site".

It said conditions which caused the minor earthquakes were "unlikely to occur again".

Anti-fracking activists who have climbed a rig near Southport in protest said it "did not inspire confidence".

Four protesters from campaign group Frack Off have climbed the drilling rig at one of the test drilling sites in Hesketh Bank.

The group is against fracking, a controversial extraction method which blasts water into rock to release shale gas, because they fear it is not safe.

Safety concerns

Cuadrilla suspended its shale gas test drilling in June, over fears of links to the earthquakes.

One tremor of magnitude 2.3 on the Richter scale hit Lancashire's Fylde coast on 1 April, followed by a second of magnitude 1.4 on 27 May.

The Geo-mechanical Study Of Bowland Shale Seismicity report said the combination of geological factors that caused the quakes was rare, and would be unlikely to occur together again at future well sites.

It said: "If these factors were to combine again in the future local geology limits seismic events to around magnitude 3 on the Richter scale as a worst-case scenario."

Cuadrilla said the report would also be subject to peer review.

A spokesman for Frack Off said: "This report does not inspire confidence, they should have done their research before drilling began."

He added: "Can we believe anything else the industry says when it talks about the safety of fracking?"

A study by The British Geological Survey placed the epicentre for each quake as being 500m away from the Preesall-1 well, which is between the villages of Singleton and Weeton, near Blackpool.

A "report" from the company looking to get a return of billions on its' investment is hardly likely to admit the possibility of blowing up Bowland AONB ....