Private company Cuadrilla Resources has admitted that its activities probably caused two seismic events that occured in Blackpool earlier this year.
By Garry White 12:36PM GMT 02 Nov 2011
In April, a tremor measuring 2.3 on the Richter scale was felt in the Lancashire seaside resort, followed by an event in May that measured 1.5 on the scale.
It is highly probable that the hydraulic fracturing of Cuadrillas Preese Hall-1 well did trigger a number of minor seismic events, Cuadrilla admitted. The report also said there was no threat to people and property in the local area caused by the drilling.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involved pumping a solution at high pressure through shale to crack the rock formation. This allows trapped gas to be released and collected.