Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

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Key definition

Fracking definition

What does Fracking mean? Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a well stimulation technique to extract shale gas or tight oil by injecting water, sand and chemical additives at high pressure to create fractures in deep rock. In legal practice it engages petroleum licensing, planning permission and environmental permitting. In England, 'associated hydraulic fracturing' is defined in the Petroleum Act 1998 (as amended by the Infrastructure Act 2015) by reference to fluid volumes, which triggers statutory safeguards on depth, protected groundwater areas and methane monitoring. Typical instructions include: securing petroleum licences (England: North Sea Transition Authority), planning consent from the mineral planning authority, environmental permits (groundwater, mining...

Fracking in the UK: Environmental risks, contamination and water demand, air pollutants and climate impacts, and regulatory context including CCC compatibility tests

Published by a LexisNexis Energy expert

Practice notes

What is Fracking?

Shale gas Extraction, or hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is the method by which water and chemical additives are forced into shale rock at very high pressure to free the natural gas held within the rock. Vertical well bores are drilled thousands of feet into the earth, passing through sedimentary layers, the water table and shale formations to access the gas. The well is then turned to run horizontally, and a cement casing is fitted, providing a channel for the large volumes of water, fracking fluid, chemicals and sand needed to split the rock and shale. Sometimes, before fluids are injected, small explosives are used to open the bedrock. The resulting cracks enable the gas to be extracted from the formations. Shale gas consists mainly of methane, a natural gas used to generate electricity and for domestic heating and cooking. Fracking is labelled an ‘unconventional’ fossil fuel because, alongside drilling, extra measures are employed (fracturing the shales to allow the gas to move) to release the gas. Although fracking has technically existed for decades, improvements in technology have made deeper fracking possible to...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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