Very recently the Somerset Guardian published an opinion piece about the need to “dig deeper” to uncover the facts about fracking which characterises Somerset’s local fracking awareness groups as untruthful, ill-informed, fact distorting “zealots and banner-wavers”. The author Kevin Daly goes on to say that no link between methane and well water has ever been found, whereas it is well documented, and quotes from a recent peer reviewed paper that groundwater contamination is “not physically plausible”. The sentiment of this report can be traced to Matt Ridley (the well know climate change skeptic and pro-fracker who writes in the Times) and to EnergyInDepth an oil and gas lobby organisation in the USA. The “not physically plausible” quote comes from a paper written by a company paid to write it by Halliburton, using Halliburton data and promoted by EnergyInDepth which was set up by a bevvy of oil companies including Halliburton specifically to “combat new environmental regulation, especially with regard to hydraulic fracturing”. The conclusions of this paper are inappropriate to Somerset because it does not consider the complex local geology or the fact that pathways already exist between great depth and surface water sources – hence the hot springs of Bath and Bristol.
What is Halliburton famous for?
- Being heavily involved in “extreme energy” of deep water drilling and hydraulic fracturing
- The so called “Halliburton loophole” which exempts fracking fluids from the US Safe Drinking Water Act – as organised by Dick Cheney former Chief Executive Officer of Halliburton
- Being responsible for the cement casing of the Deepwater Horizon drilling operation and disaster
- Pleading guilty to the criminal behavior in destroying evidence in connection to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Why is Halliburton propaganda appearing in our local press?
The Independent reports today: US oil giant Halliburton lined up as potential fracking partner.
Ah that may be the reason.
We should be concerned that this inappropriately reassuring industry view of unconventional gas has been fed through our local Somerset media without the means to refer to or question the sources because they were not referenced. Nor is the article available online, only comments to it.
Frack Free Chew Valley, Somerset 