"To be clear - this policy change does not apply in Scotland. Fracking can only happen here if licences are issued by the Scottish Government and we do not intend to issue any licences," Matheson wrote on Twitter.
On Thurdsay, the UK government lifted the moratorium on the extraction of shale gas by fracking and reaffirmed its intention to issue over 100 licenses for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.
The United Kingdom halted the use of fracking in the country in November 2019 over the risk of seismic activities.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique for extracting shale gas and oil by injecting pressurized toxic liquid into the ground. Opponents of hydraulic fracturing argue that the process poses numerous health, safety and environmental risks, including the potential for fracking fluids and waste to leak into municipal water, as well as the large volume of water used.