Potential fracking

tigsly

I am aware fracking is now a 'possibility' .. how likely is this to appear on a search - and if it does should I worry - or are all properties at risk of fracking?

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd doubt that will yet show up on any searches. I knew much of England is at risk of fracking at some point (more than 50% I seem to recall) and would have been specifically checking to see if I could find out if I had been buying in England.

As it was, I just noted the "at risk" patches in Britain as a whole and there wasn't one anywhere near where I now live, so didn't have to bother to investigate the specific house.

Don't forget, even if a specific house is deemed safe from any anywhere nearby..where would your water supply be coming from?

Davesnave

I think there are other things that are more important to consider, such as potential for flooding, subsidence, former use of the land, potential for unwelcome development and so on.

Where I am, for example, there's more chance of a wind turbine next door than being fracked.

Buying anywhere carries risks. After the known unknowns have been investigated, there's usually quite a narrow choice as it is!

Meanwhile, if you really want to pursue this, there's plenty on-line hints at where the best (or worst) sites will be:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25424687

tigsly

That map is useful - as I'm in South London - and thats a lovely orange patch - i'm guessing wherever i'd move.. i'd be at risk!

As for flooding- the risk is minimial - no subcidence - no 'bad use of land' recently..

The only rubbish development is an inncinerator being built - and thats going to be the same for everyhouse I look at (looking at one specific area).. I'm hoping being 1 mile south west - will mean - its not to bad.. (although reviews on this are mixed).

SailorSam

Davesnave wrote: »

I think there are other things that are more important to consider, such as potential for flooding, subsidence, former use of the land, potential for unwelcome development and so on.

Where I am, for example, there's more chance of a wind turbine next door than being fracked.

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I agree Dave, after the year that we've just had and the pictues we've seen on the Tv news if i were ever to move again the top of my 'no go' areas would be anywhere that was a risk of flood.
But some things would come down to personal feelings. I'm a big supporter of alternative energy and so i'd much prefer them to build a few wind turbines on the field next to my house rather than drill for fracking, i'm sure others would feel differently.

Davesnave

SailorSam wrote: »

i'd much prefer them to build a few wind turbines on the field next to my house rather than drill for fracking, i'm sure others would feel differently.

They would, probably, since 'a few' 112' high would hardly go unnoticed. That's the size of the nearest one to me, though I can't see it, due to another monstrosity, namely a 150' barn of C20th origin.

I accept that the countryside isn't a museum.

In any event, I won't be having one in the field next to my house. I own it! :rotfl:

bigadaj

I love the ignorance of people who know nothing anout the processes, fracking has occurred in thousands of wells throughout the uk already, in oil wells rather than shale gas, and no the country hasn't collapsed.

Wind turbines are fine of you want to look green, teh problem is you need the equivalent capacity available when the wind doesn't blow which means they are a luxury, and expensive ones at that.

Sorry to try and add some facts to the debate, please feel free to continue with ill informed speculation based on a totally uneducated press should you desire.

Davesnave

Slightly pompous intervention there, but yes, the most expensive small bit of the UK property-wise, does indeed sit slap bang on top of an active oil field.

(I'm referring to Sandbanks in Poole Harbour.)

princeofpounds

Yes it's one of the amusing things about the whole fracking debate that the biggest fracking site and onshore oil field in England is going on down there near purbeck and barely anyone even knows it is there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10233955/The-town-where-fracking-is-already-happening.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12573605

Gas fracking is even less disruptive. Yes, whilst the rig is there for a few weeks it can be ugly and noisy, although the footprint of the site is usually remarkably small.

Then during the frack itself you have a couple of days where lots of tankers turn up.

Then when it is all completed, you end up with a 3m x 3m concrete pad a few inches above the ground and literally a tap that is about waist height. And that's all you can see - the pipe runs underground. The site I visted, the farmers were growing potatoes all around it, and the cow shed was more obtrusive.

A few km away there was a processing facility which was larger, but nothing more than a couple of industrial buildings.

Davesnave

princeofpounds wrote: »

Yes it's one of the amusing things about the whole fracking debate that the biggest fracking site and onshore oil field in England is going on down there near purbeck and barely anyone even knows it is there.

I visited that site a short time after it opened. They did a very good job of hiding it, even building some of their usually tall structures horizontally, to avoid breaking the skyline.

ConfusedofYorkshire

princeofpounds wrote: »

Yes it's one of the amusing things about the whole fracking debate that the biggest fracking site and onshore oil field in England is going on down there near purbeck and barely anyone even knows it is there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/10233955/The-town-where-fracking-is-already-happening.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-12573605

Gas fracking is even less disruptive. Yes, whilst the rig is there for a few weeks it can be ugly and noisy, although the footprint of the site is usually remarkably small.

Then during the frack itself you have a couple of days where lots of tankers turn up.

Then when it is all completed, you end up with a 3m x 3m concrete pad a few inches above the ground and literally a tap that is about waist height. And that's all you can see - the pipe runs underground. The site I visted, the farmers were growing potatoes all around it, and the cow shed was more obtrusive.

A few km away there was a processing facility which was larger, but nothing more than a couple of industrial buildings.

It's the fires coming out the taps and the earth tremors I'm more bothered about.....