3 December 2013 Last updated at 21:32 GMT
But a BBC survey found that revealed that 529 people or 1,941 asked had not heard of the process.
BBC North West Tonight have produced a short guide to help explain what fracking is and its relevance to the region.
Fracking, a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock, is becoming a familiar term for many people in the north west.