Shale gas resources could be bigger than expected

Shale gas could be a larger contributor to the UK's energy supplying up to 10 to 15 years of the UK's needs according to exploratory company IGas.

According to IGas, there could be up to 170 trillion cubic feet of gas in the areas it is licensed to explore in territories in northern England. IGas currently holds exploration permissions covering an area of 300 square miles in the Cheshire region.

Previous estimates from IGas were set at just nine trillion cubic feet of shale gas, but estimates have now surpassed that with the company setting the volume of shale gas at anything between 15.1 trillion cubic feet and 172.3 trillion feet nearly 20 times more than originally though at the top end of the spectrum.

Talking to Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme Andrew Austin, IGas chief executive, said: “Our estimates for our area alone could mean that the UK would not have to import gas for a period of 10 to 15 years.”

Shale gas has been a controversial addition to the UK government’s energy plans, with environmentalists pointing to the possibility of earth tremors due to exploration into the energy source and many suggesting that resources to explore the gas supply would be better spent on renewable resources.

The UK’s current annual gas consumption is estimated to be three trillion cubic feet.