Issued on behalf of the Expert Scientific Panel Expert Scientific Panel report highlights Scotland could benefit from unconventional oil & gas. An Expert Scientific Panel has concluded its report into unconventional oil & gas in Scotland. The Panel, which was set up by the Scottish Government in September 2013, was tasked with reviewing the existing scientific evidence on unconventional hydrocarbon development. The Chairman of the Expert Scientific Panel, Dr Chris Masters, said: “The Panel welcomed this opportunity to produce a report for the Scottish Government on unconventional oil & gas. From the outset, the Panel recognised that there is a significant amount of scientific evidence, much of which is not always easily accessible or sometimes particularly understandable to the general public. “We hope that this report goes some way towards helping people to understand the fundamentals of unconventional hydrocarbon developments and also helps to inform the debate on what is potentially a very important issue for Scotland but also a very sensitive one.” On the report findings, he added; “It is clear that the development of unconventional hydrocarbons has had a profound effect on the economy of the United States with global repercussions in terms of gas and chemical feedstock prices. While it is unlikely that Scotland, or indeed, Europe, would benefit to a similar degree, there could be a number of positive economic impacts from the development of unconventional hydrocarbons, particularly in the petrochemical industry. “Scotland has a significant petrochemical industry, a rich heritage in the extractive industries and some advantages in terms of an existing supply chain and experience with the offshore oil & gas industry. The Panel found that there are no significant technological impediments to the development of an onshore unconventional hydrocarbon industry in Scotland and furthermore that the technology currently exists to extract such hydrocarbons safely. “The Panel also found that much of the regulatory regime is already in place to ensure effective monitoring and control of unconventional oil & gas developments, although a number of areas were identified which require further consideration. “Successful public engagement is undoubtedly going to be very important if an unconventional oil & gas industry is to be developed in Scotland. A robust regulatory regime would be an important element, if any such developments were to go ahead, in giving people confidence that the risks associated with unconventional oil & gas projects would be effectively managed.”
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 09:46:01 +0000