UK Edition
Robin Hood oak in frackers' sights as chemical firm plans extraction under Sherwood Forest
Plans are being made for fracking to take place under Sherwood Forest where an ancient oak stands where according to legend Robin Hood and his merry men rested.
Ineos, one of the world's biggest chemicals company, is poised to start looking for gas under Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, in a move which could lead to it seeking permission to frack the area.
The area could become a flashpoint with campaigners from Frack Free Nottinghamshire saying they will copy Robin Hood's example and "defend Sherwood Forest".
They fear Robin Hood's folklore shelter the Major Oak could be at risk.
The site is also close to a Center Parcs holiday park.
Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.
The Government has committed to fast tracking permissions for exploratory work amid forecasts that trillions of cubic feet of shale gas may be recoverable from underneath parts of the UK.
However in 2011, energy company Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool, in Lancashire, after two earthquakes of 1.5 and 2.2 magnitude hit the area.
A subsequent study found it was "highly probable" that shale gas test drilling triggered the tremors.
Documents show Ineos – via their land surveyors, Fisher German - have been in correspondence with the Forestry Commission since August 2016, regarding access to their land.
One of the many shown in the maps and documents released to Friends of the Earth under the Freedom of Information Act is Sherwood Forest national nature reserve.
If these plans progress, Ineos’ seismic surveys would pass within a few hundred yards of the Major Oak, a 1,000-year-old tree near the village of Edwinstowe.
According to local folklore, it was Robin Hood's shelter where he and his merry men slept and hid from the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 15th century.
In a 2002 survey, it was voted "Britain's favourite tree".
Permission was granted for the survey to start in November for a two year period, according to the documents which were obtained using Freedom of Information laws.
Guy Shrubsole, a Friends of the Earth campaigner, said: “Is nothing sacred? By hunting for shale gas in Sherwood Forest, Ineos is sticking two fingers up at England’s green heritage, all in the pursuit of profit.
“The public wants to protect their English countryside and prefers renewable energy, not dirty shale gas, which will only add to climate change.”
Ineos also sought permission to carry out surveys for gas on National Trust land at Clumber Park, a large country estate to the north of Sherwood Forest but was turned down by the Trust.
Ineos confirmed that it was looking to start work in Sherwood Forest but insisted that great care would be taken to protect the Major Oak.
Tom Pickering, Ineos's Shale operations director, said: “Any decision to position a well site will take into account environmental features such as the Major Oak and the planning process would also consider those issues.”
No decision on fracking under Sherwood Forest had yet been taken, he said, adding that Ineos would "undertake an extensive exploratory programme of seismic data acquisition across our wider licence area to better understand the subsurface geology including the fracture systems".
Ineos planned "to drill a number of vertical 'coring' wells to take samples of the rock for laboratory analysis of the rocks structure and gas content.
"Only if these tests prove positive, would we then make a decision whether to drill horizontally and frack any wells in the wider licence area".
Asked how Ineos would protect the trees of Sherwood Forest, Mr Pickering added: "When we do drill a vertical 'coring' well in the area, there are many general and specific environmental protections in place and we will of course abide by them.”
The worked was vital to ensure that Britain had green alternatives to source new power as more coal and nuclear power stations are closed.
Mr Pickering said: "The UK is going to need to find environmentally friendly alternatives if we want to keep the lights on.
"Gas is one of these environmentally friendly alternatives, and potentially we in the UK have a huge supply of indigenous gas under our own feet. It would be simply crazy not to explore this natural resource.”
On fracking at Clumber Park, he added: "We did approach National Trust to conduct a seismic survey (no drilling or fracking) over its land, but sadly, they said no.
"We think this decision is regrettable as the new data that we would have gathered, would eventually becomes part of the UK geologic database."
A spokesman for Center Parcs declined to comment when approached by the Telegraph.