To frack or not to frack — your questions answered

Fracking is one of the most controversial areas of engineering to emerge for years. The method of hydraulically fracturing underground shale rock with large amounts of water in order to release trapped oil and gas has transformed the energy landscape of the US. Now proponents want to open the UK to a similar new generation of onshore fossil-fuel operations, arguing it will improve the country’s energy security and help reduce carbon emissions by enabling a shift from coal to gas generation. Opponents argue fracking poses a significant environmental threat to water supplies, the countryside and the wider climate by deepening our use of fossil fuels when we should be moving to renewables.

For our latest reader Q&A, we put your questions on fracking to a panel of experts including:

• Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla Resources, one of the firms carrying out exploratory fracking in the UK;