Scotland’s temporary moratorium on shale gas licensing (see Plasteurope.com of 03.02.2015) has not deterred Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) from acquiring full ownership of the Petroleum & Development Licenses (PEDLs) surrounding its petrochemical complex in Grangemouth (see Plasteurope.com of 12.03.2015). On the contrary, the company appears to be going all out in its efforts to make shale gas exploration a reality in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

In the latest chapter of the ongoing saga, the Switzerland-based group has launched what it calls “Scotland’s biggest shale gas information programme”, which it says will provide the public with facts about shale extraction and is aimed at meeting the government’s aim of seeking out the public’s views on unconventional oil and gas exploration.

Scheduled to start in mid-April, the programme – which local news media have called a “charm offensive” – includes a series of “town hall” meetings that will begin in areas where Ineos already holds shale gas licenses, but is expected to be rolled out across the entire Scottish shale gas belt. Ineos Upstream director Tom Pickering is expected to attend most of these meetings, along with other company staff. In addition, the petrochemicals group has also launched a series of films called “The Fracking Facts” that are available for viewing online and will also be screened at the meetings.

Ineos said it will use the programme to explain its plan to give 6% of shale gas revenues to the local community (for details, see Plasteurope.com of 01.10.2014). “The Scottish government wants the public to be fully informed about shale gas production and we are determined to help. We are launching Scotland’s biggest shale gas information programme to make sure that local communities get the chance to hear the facts rather than the myths about shale gas,” Ineos Upstream CEO Gary Haywood said.

e-Service:
Link to Ineos' series of Information Videos