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UK Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG) has today signed a joint charter with trade union GMB to increase understanding amongst local communities about the importance of gas, and the long history of exploration and production of onshore gas in the UK.
The industry bodies have insisted that gas has a “key role” to play in both the UK’s future energy supply and the move to a low-carbon energy future.
As part of the commitment, the two groups will establish an Industry Safety Forum to build on the “already strong regulatory and safety foundations in the sector”.
GMB national secretary Gary Smith said having access to gas is a “matter of national security”.
He continued: “GMB believes it is essential that we continue to debate the merits of shale gas and that this is done soberly. The UK has serious issues about energy security and they need to be considered in any debate on shale.”
UKOOG chief executive Ken Cronin pointed out that gas is used for heating and cooking in more than 80 per cent of the homes and workplaces in the country.
“Gas is also an important feedstock for the chemical industry, which employs tens of thousands of people in the North of England,” he added. “It is essential for the economic well-being and the energy security of the UK that we get on with exploration to determine the extent of the gas resources we have in this country.”
In January, UKOOG hit back at a call from the Environmental Audit Committee that fracking for shale gas should be banned, claiming that gas plays a “vital role” in other areas outside of electricity generation.
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