Fracking is the topic everyone’s talking about here in the North West. There are plans by two companies to start drilling into the shale banks deep underground in the Lough Allen basin and beyond, which more or less means the whole of counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Fermanagh and more besides. Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing, a process of fracturing the subterranean rock with a mixture of water and chemicals at high pressure so that shale gas is released and can be collected. The technology allows companies to not only drill vertically but also drill massive distances horizontally too.

Despite the likelihood that such drilling might bring some jobs and investment to the region, local opinion seems to be overwhelmingly against the prospect of fracking taking place. Dangers of the technology are shown in the documentary film Gaslands, which won many awards including an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Film. The Gaslands website has a very interesting animation which will give you a better idea of the principles involved, as well as an FAQ on what fracking is. You can also read more background in a BBC article on fracking and an Irish Times article on the situation in the North West entitled What’s your fracking problem?

Tags: fracking, sligo, leitrim