15 November 2011

Industry Rejects Call for Moratorium on Fracking

The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association says a call for a moratorium on the practice of hydraulic fracturing of rocks during oil and gas development is unjustified and alarmist.

Executive Officer of the Association John Pfahlert said the Day of Action against Fracking being run by environmental activists on 16 November continued to peddle mistruths about the fracking process.

“Their allegations of pollution to groundwater, adverse effects on animal health, triggering of earthquakes and destruction of the environment were simply wrong in the New Zealand context. Despite the fact this campaign has been going on for months they have yet to identify a single instance where fracking has caused any adverse effects in New Zealand.

“40 conventional oil and gas wells have been subject to the technique in onshore Taranaki over the past decade with no adverse consequences,” said Mr Pfahlert.

“Fracking is a safe technique to increase the recovery of oil or natural gas. Later this month the Taranaki Regional Council will release a peer reviewed report into fracking practices in Taranaki over the past 10 years. That report will disclose all the chemicals used and the location of all the sites where fracking occurred.

“There have been calls for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment to undertake an independent enquiry into the practice in New Zealand. If she decides to conduct such an enquiry she will have the industry’s full cooperation,” said Mr Pfahlert.

ENDS

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