Fracking companies push to relax earthquake and planning rules before ban is lifted

Frac companies are pushing for seismic limits to be relaxed and want that local objections can be overcome before Liz Truss lifts the ban in England.

The new Prime Minister is expected to confirm the U-turn as early as next week - but the industry body has told < em>The Independent the ruling will only revive the industry if new rules are introduced to make fracking easier.

These are expected to include speeding up building permits by allowing ministers, instead of local authorities, to approve projects as "of national importance". infrastructure," he says.

And he wants rules requiring drilling to stop if it causes shaking of 0.5 or more on the Richter scale, arguing that shaking at this level occur natura lly and are often imperceptible.

Fracting companies want parity with the geothermal energy and construction industries, which are allowed to create earthquakes of magnitudes above 0.5, they say.

“If the government has just lifted the moratorium and has not offered full political support, it would be very difficult to present an investment case,” said Charles McAllister, Director of UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG).

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He called for changes to the government's "traffic light system", arguing that stopping drilling after an earthquake of 0.5 or more prevents testing of suitable fracking sites.

Mr. McAllister said, "If seismicity regulations applied to shale gas development were applied to other sectors, such as construction...