Via Leo H, here's a press release from University of Leicester geographer, Mike Bradshaw. It announces a speech he's giving today at the Royal Geographical Society conference in Edinburgh.
“There is a high degree of risk and uncertainty associated with every element of the UK’s energy strategy – whether that’s energy efficiency, renewable energy, or carbon capture and storage. “Coming together these could result into an ever greater reliance of gas, at a time when its price is likely to increase because of growing demand from countries including China and India.” Some commentators present shale gas extraction as the solution to these future gas and energy security issues. Yet, Professor Bradshaw does not agree, commenting that significant levels of exploitation are unlikely for many years, due to substantial logistical and environmental challenges. “Shale gas is unlikely to be a game-changer in the UK” concluded Professor Bradshaw.
If I remember the Deutsche Bank report correctly, the logistical challenges are merely a shortage of horizontal drilling rigs in the UK, something that can, no doubt, be fixed by manufacturing more of them. The bigger question is, of course, over the "environmental challenges" and the efforts by greens to prevent anyone from even trying to exploit shale resources.