Opponents of lower-volume fracking have questioned the safety of the process proposed at a gas site in East Yorkshire.
The group, West Newton Said NO, was commenting on an application by Rathlin to vary the environmental permit at the site.
The Environment Agency (EA) has said it is minded to approve the application. A final public consultation is underway until 6 October 2025.
Rathlin is seeking permission to pump fluid into the Kirkham Abbey Formation at pressures high enough to fracture rocks. The aim is to improve the flow of gas through the reservoir into the well.
But West Newton Said NO questioned whether the intended stimulation could be done safely.
The group quoted a recent scientific paper* which looked at the risks of using suspended gas wells in the Kirkham Abbey Formation (KAF) in North Yorkshire to store methane or carbon dioxide.
The authors, from Aberdeen University, said:
“Carbon dioxide storage in the depleted KAF reservoirs contained in the VoP [Vale of Pickering] fields poses several technical challenges”.
It cited the complexity of the physical and chemical rock properties of the Kirkham Abbey Formation and the fact that the characteristics varied in different directions.
The paper said:
“Porosity and permeability vary significantly over short distances owing to its dual permeability nature, leading to high uncertainties when predicting subsurface fluid flow and posing a massive challenge when reservoir modelling the KAF.”
The paper also said:
“Repeating injection and extraction of gas in and out of the reservoir will exert strain into the KAF, potentially fracturing it, which may lead to unexpected fluid behaviour and migration.”
In its comment to the Environment Agency, a spokesperson for West Newton Said No concluded:
“I fail to see how any intended stimulation can be carried out in a safe manner, especially considering the structural properties of the KAF.
“This clearly cannot be carried out in a 100 percent safe manner.
“Any unintentional subsurface fluid flows, as stated by the above paper in regards to gas extraction can lead to migration and unexpected fluid behaviour, therefore this is not safe for either the environment or indeed reactivation of any faults, considering the nearest one to the pad is 500mtrs away, which really is not that far.”
Rathlin Energy has concluded that hydraulic fracturing procedures in the Kirkham Abbey Formation “pose a very low risk with respect to induced seismicity”. It also said they “do not present an unacceptable risk to surface water and groundwater receptors”.
But West Newton Said No accused Rathlin Energy of “flawed” modelling.
The group urged the Environment Agency to apply the precautionary principle, which seeks to avoid causing harm when extensive scientific knowledge is lacking.
The group also questioned why there had been:
The group asked:
“How can a member of the public possibly make an informed objection without all the relevant data?
“The precautionary principle applies here as the EA cannot possibly be 100 percent certain that the information supplied is correct.”
It also said the site liner, installed to prevent spills reaching ground or surface water, was not fit for purpose.
Other consultation responses, which can be viewed online, include objections on the grounds of:
*Basin transection in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire: implications for energy resources and geological storage, Energy Geoscience Conference Series, volume 1
