Potential Vast New Gas Supply Found

An energy firm which has been test drilling for controversial "shale gas" in Lancashire said it has found around 200 trillion cubic feet of gas underground and hopes to start drilling within 2 years.

Testing for the gas began in March, using a controversial technique known as "fracking", in which liquid containing chemicals is pumped at high pressure underground to fracture the rock and force the release of gas.

27 September 2011