Graham Stewart MP misleads public on West Newton mini-frac & gas from Russia

Last week Look North reported the West Newton A planning extension, and interviewed Graham Stewart, Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness.

Graham Stewart continues to mislead the public by implying:

1. that we get our gas from Russia (we don't) as justification for new exploration in our region for outdated fossil fuels.  
2. by claiming West Newton is in no way a fracking site.  In reality, a mini-frac was attempted there on the Bowland Shale in August 2014 (it went badly wrong).  An honest statement would be: "West Newton is not a site for HIGH VOLUME fracking."

So is he incompetently incorrect, or deliberately misleading?

Fracking Myth #2: "Putin could turn off our gas supply."

Fact: We do not rely on Russia for our gas supply.

97% of our imported gas comes from Norway, Holland and Qatar.
Therefore President Putin could not turn off the UK's gas supply, even if he wanted to. Making false statements like this in the media is just a way to frighten the British public into supporting fracking.

So where exactly do we get our gas from?

According to the 2014 Government DUKES report, the main sources of UK gas imports are:

Norway [pipeline]     57%
Qatar [LNG*]     24%
Holland [pipeline]     15%
Belgium [pipeline]     1%.
*LNG = Liquified Natural Gas

The UK also exports gas to Belgium, Holland and Ireland.

New Report on West Newton A – Mini-frack WAS attempted - a dangerous microcosm of UK fracking?

Mini-frack test WAS carried out at West Newton after all

A new and comprehensive report presents evidence of a huge catalogue of problems and harm caused by Rathlin Energy's incompetence at their West Newton A well site in Holderness, and failure by the council to protect and enforce.  It says that Rathlin Energy did carry out the planned mini-frack test at West Newton A well site after all, and there is video evidence of the site Field Manager admitting to this.

The company announced at the beginning of August that they would soon complete a mini-frack test on the Bowland Shale.  But less than 2 weeks later there was an emergency well shutdown, and the test was abandoned.  The well has since been mothballed, and Rathlin are drilling a new well just a few fields away.

The report "highlights the nefarious approach of the multinationals, the contempt they hold government agencies, councils, communities and the environment in and their desire to steamroll ahead with fracking – whatever the cost"

West Newton A – a dangerous microcosm of UK fracking?