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...

UK hydraulic fracturing (fracking): regulatory framework, moratorium status, PEDLs, planning, environmental permits, HSE and key regulators

Published by a LexisNexis Energy expert

Practice notes

What is Fracking?

Shale gas Extraction, also called hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is the practice of injecting water and chemical additives into shale rock at very high pressure to release the natural gas trapped inside. Operators drill vertical wellbores thousands of feet into the ground, passing through sedimentary layers, the water table, and shale formations to reach the target gas deposits. The well is then steered horizontally, and a cement casing is installed, acting as a conduit for the enormous volumes of water, fracking fluid, chemicals, and sand required to fracture the rock and shale strata. Sometimes, before the fluids are pumped, small explosive charges are used to open the bedrock. The resulting fractures create pathways that let the gas be removed from the rock formations. Shale gas is largely methane, a natural gas used to generate electricity and for domestic heating and cooking. Fracking is considered an ‘unconventional’ fossil fuel because additional methods are employed (the fracturing of the shales to enable the gas to flow), alongside drilling, to release the gas. Although fracking has technically existed for decades, improvements in technology have allowed deeper fracking to...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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