Five-Quarter Energy Holdings

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

Five-Quarter Energy Holdings Ltd is a British gas exploration company.

Activities

The company is working on what Natural Gas Europe describes as 'one of the UK's most exciting unconventional gas projects', which involves drilling into rocks deep below the North Sea.

Using a process called “Deep Gas Winning”, Five-Quarter Energy Holdings Ltd. plans to extract gas from what was once thought to be the dirtiest fuel: coal.

Criticism

In November 2014 one of Five-Quarter's non-executive directors, Professor Paul Younger was criticised for not disclosing his industry connections in research published in the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology. The research suggested that government rules to curb tremors from fracking are unnecessarily restrictive and should be eased. According to STV News:

Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, said: 'There is a great deal of overlap between the unconventionals industry and academia. While I do not dispute Professor's Younger's academic credentials, it is important to see the full picture.

I was surprised that the academic journal itself has nothing online that reveals Professor Younger's position on the board of Five-Quarter. While the company is pursuing a form of underground coal gasification, rather than fracking, it is still part of the unconventionals industry.

I was also surprised that the academic journal itself has nothing online that reveals Professor Younger’s position on the board of Five Quarter. While the company is pursuing a form of underground coal gasification, rather than fracking, it is still part of the unconventionals industry. The connection with Buccleuch, a major shareholder in Five Quarter, is also significant.'

Younger told STV news that 'the business has no involvement with fracking, shale gas or the coalbed methane sectors, and his association with Five-Quarter has been long known'.

Affiliations

• Buccleuch Group is a major shareholder

People

• Dr Harry Bradbury, chief executive and a professor at the University of Newcastle. Spoke at Unconventional Gas Aberdeen 2014, on 25-26 March.

• Professor Paul Younger from the University of Glasgow is an unpaid non-executive director. He contributed to research published in November 2014 in the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology which suggested that government rules to curb tremors from fracking are unnecessarily restrictive and should be eased.

Contact

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