The Government has rejected environmentalists' calls for a ban on hydraulic fracturing following a report which said two earth tremors may have been caused by drilling near Blackpool but says it will examine the findings carefully before operations resume.
Cuadrilla Resources, the company carrying out the shale gas exploration, has published The Geomechanical Study of Bowland Shale Seismicity, prepared by a panel of scientists chaired by Hans de Pater.
The report concludes it was highly likely the Preese Hall 1 drilling triggered some minor seismic events but they were due to unusual geology at the site, would be unlikely to recur and would not cause surface damage.
Cuadrilla said it accepted the findings and is ready to put the suggested early detection system in place to improve the confidence of the local community.
"Cuadrilla is working with the relevant local and national authorities to implement the report's recommendations so we may safely resume our operations," said chief executive Mark Miller.
Energy minister Charles Hendry said the potential for unconventional gas is worth exploring but it was important to stress that it is very early days.
"We are committed to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection in all UK oil and gas activities, and we will look at Cuadrilla's report carefully with the assistance of our independent experts and regulators, before deciding whether hydraulic fracturing operations should resume," he said.
"This is a potentially important addition to our energy resources, but its development must be done in a way that carries public confidence."
Confidence is plainly lacking among environmental bodies, however. They point out that "fracking" involves deliberate contamination of groundwater with chemicals and increased exploitation of fossil fuels with consequent greenhouse gas emissions.
Friends of the Earth senior climate campaigner Tony Bosworth said US experience of the technique shows it can pollute air and water supplies.
WWF-UK said there are many fears about shale gas including ground and surface water contamination.
