Hoping to gain public support for unconventional forms of oil and gas extraction, Grangemouth petrochemical plant operator INEOS launched “Scotland’s biggest shale gas information programme” last Tuesday (17 March).

Following a moratorium on all planning consents for unconventional oil and gas extraction, including the controversial fracking technique, by the Scottish Government in January, the chemical giant announced the information drive will start mid-April.

The programme will take the form of a series of “town hall meetings”, including one in Alloa.

INEOS Upstream CEO, Gary Haywood, said: “The Scottish Government wants the public to be fully informed about shale gas production and we are determined to help.

“We are launching Scotland’s biggest shale gas information programme to make sure that local communities get a chance to hear the facts rather than the myths about shale gas.” To kick-off the programme the company has commissioned a series of “educational videos” to “dispel the myths about shale gas extraction”. They will be screened to support the town hall presentation and Q&A sessions, where people will have the chance to address questions directly to INEOS management. So far the company released three videos, each around three to four minutes long, titled The Fracking Facts.

According to a spokesperson “everything in the films is backed up by scientific research” - they explain some of the issues surrounding shale gas extraction, including air and water pollution as well as the chemicals used in the fracking fluid, and show how the company aims to safely address problems learning from the mistakes some US companies made in the past.

The multinational chemical specialist company has previously stated that they would return some of the profits to local communities where they hope to develop the industry. Six per cent of shale gas revenues has been offered, projected to amount to £375m over the span of 15-20 years. This means around £18-25m per annum. In comparison, Clackmannanshire Council’s budget for the 2015/2016 financial year is £115m.

INEOS Upstream director, Tom Pickering, said: “At INEOS we know the importance of talking to the community about shale gas extraction. We believe shale gas could revolutionise manufacturing in Scotland, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.

“We also believe INEOS has the skills to safely extract it from the ground and that our plan to share the revenue with the local community is a good one.” Earlier in January INEOS hit out at the Scottish Environment Audit Committee’s call for a moratorium. They claimed that without shale gas the UK manufacturing industry would collapse.

In January Tom Crotty, INEOS director, said: “The UK needs shale gas and we know that INEOS has the skills to safely extract it from the ground without damaging the environment.

“Without shale gas, UK manufacturing is starting to collapse so we need to kick-start the shale gas industry, not put it on hold.” In the past few years, the UK imported around 40 per cent of the natural gas used in the country. A major benefit of the proposed shale gas industry would be that the UK would not have to rely on outside sources to meet energy needs.