Monthly Archives: August 2018

Leading oil geologists call for halt on drilling in Surrey following earthquake swarm

Four leading seismologists and geologists have signed a letter to The Times today calling for a moratorium on hydrocarbon exploration in the area hit by 12 earthquakes. They have also written to the Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark MP and the heads of the oil industry regulators in the same terms.

The four, who all have expertise in the hydrocarbon industry, are:

  • Stuart Gilfillan FGS, Senior Lecturer in Geochemistry at School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh
  • Stuart Haszeldine OBE FRSE C.Geol. Professor of Geology at School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh
  • Bill McGuire, Emeritus Professor in Geophysical & Climate Hazards, Dept. of Earth Sciences, UCL
  • Richard Selley CGeol, Emeritus Professor of Petroleum Geology, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London

The letter reads.

“A moratorium is urgently needed on hydrocarbon exploration in the area of Surrey recently affected by 12 earthquakes. We believe that public health and the environment are not being adequately protected given the unstable geology, which had not been identified before permits were issued for the currently active drill sites.

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