In the UK gas plays a major role in all our lives, to heat our homes, cook our food and in the manufacture of a wide range of household items.

Gas accounted for more than 42 per cent of electricity generated in Britain last year and the proportion has been growing as coal-fired power stations are phased out.

However, we are importing more and more gas and Government estimates are that we will be importing 80 per cent of our requirement by 2035 with the consequent impact on the environment, our balance of payments and security of supply.

Locally and nationally we need to utilise the opportunity of shale gas in a safe way, creating skilled and technical jobs in the UK. By using the natural gas we have just a mile under our feet, we can ensure that the British public have the means to heat the 84 per cent of homes dependent on gas for the coming decades.

Analysis shows that the industry could also provide around 64,000 UK jobs, and if we think about the impact to our countryside, recently we demonstrated that if approximately 400 well pads, each the size of two football pitches were developed across the UK between 2020 and 2035 we could reduce the UK’s gas import dependency by 50 per cent.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has also stated that “shale gas could make a useful contribution to UK energy supplies, including providing some energy security benefits.” Within the industry we firmly believe in a balanced energy mix on economic and environmental grounds, shale gas, onshore oil, nuclear, renewables and offshore oil and gas all have a part to play in ensuring we have a secure energy landscape as we transition to a lower carbon economy.

Ken Cronin is Chief Executive of United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG).