The controversial practice of fracking should be continued in the UK, according to a government appointed panel of experts.
Hydraulic fracking, the practice of mining for shale gas by pumping water into a deep well, caused two small earthquakes in Blackpool last spring, and a number of questions were raised over its safety.
Although shale gas is seen as a way of ensuring cheap energy supplies, and a "cleaner" fuel than coal, there have been worries over mining in areas of known seismic activity, and also over the possibility of contaminating ground water.
In what is the first government report into fracking, experts say fracking should be continued, although they warn that further fracking in the Blackpool area was very likely to lead to further tremors.
Ministers are likely to accept the advice, with the result that thousands of new wells could be created across the UK. This will move towards the US energy model, where Shale gas is one of the major sources of energy. Critics worry about destroyed landscapes, safety of the wells, and the potential to damage potentially damaging pipeline installations.