Tycoon told Sturgeon of 'shale revolution' as minister unveiled fracking moratorium

A previously secret account of the summit reveals that the company told the SNP leader that it "understood, though didn't agree with current public opinion" on the issue and agreed to engage with her new policy.

It has emerged that Mr Ratcliffe and Ineos director Tom Crotty discussed their own plans to win public acceptance for fracking and highlighted an economic transformation in Pittsburgh, where the pair told the First Minister the 'US shale revolution' had led to jobs and prosperity. They added that the Marcellus Shale in North America was producing more gas than is needed across the entire UK.

They also said gas power stations would be essential in future, attacking wind power as expensive and unreliable, coal as too dirty and nuclear energy as pricey and unpopular.

However, the public may never learn the full details of what was said at the meeting. Following a long-running battle for the release of the official record, The Scottish Government revealed more information but key passages remain redacted after the Information Commissioner refused to order full disclosure.

The Scottish Government opposed the full release, claiming ministers needed to be able to "consider all available options and consider these rigorously". Their "candour" would be affected if details of their discussions were revealed, it was argued, potentially undermining its approach to a policy area "still under discussion and development."

Patrick Harvie, the Green co-convenor and energy spokesman, said keeping the note secret would only heighten concerns over fracking, which supporters say is safe if properly regulated but critics say can cause water contamination and earthquakes.

He added: "Communities across Scotland are being left in limbo by the Scottish Government, who instead of discussing fracking with the likes of Ineos should be using their existing powers to turn the moratorium into a ban now.

"Ineos recognise public opinion is against them yet this hasn’t put them off. Their reference to Pittsburgh shows how bad their spin in. The so-called boom in jobs in that part of the States has quickly turned to bust."

Mr Ratcliffe has previously said he has received assurances from the SNP that it is "not against" fracking, which sees a mixture of water, sand and chemicals pumped underground at high pressure to fracture shale rock and release gas trapped inside, despite the party presenting its position as being opposed at last year's general election.

It has since been announced that the moratorium will run until next year, following a period of evidence gathering and a public consultation.

Friends of the Earth Scotland said the document showed Mr Ratcliffe was in "fantasyland" if he thought shale gas reserves in Scotland would prove as productive as those in the US.

A spokeswoman added: "Some politicians cling to the hope that the UK could see a repeat of the US shale gas boom, but this view has been seriously discredited by geologists and economists as well as leading industry figures.

"With a 15 year contract to ship ethane from US shales to the Grangemouth plant, Jim Ratcliffe would do better to focus on planning for a low carbon future for the INEOS plant and its workers, than trash the central belt with his fracking plans."

Mr Ratcliffe also told the First Minister that industrial relations at Grangemouth were "positive" following a high-profile dispute that almost led to its closure in 2013, the note reveals. The firm is importing US shale gas to Grangemouth and Norway on giant purpose-built ships, with the first to arrive this month.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said it is taking an "evidence-led" approach to unconventional oil and gas and that its moratorium had been supported by both industry and environmental groups.