SA Libs, Greens vote for fracking probe

South Australia's Liberal opposition has teamed up with the Greens to back a cross-party inquiry into oil and gas fracking, despite criticism from the industry.

The Liberals voted with the Greens and crossbenchers in the upper house to establish the inquiry, which will examine fracking in the state's southeast.

It will be conducted by a cross-party standing committee, after the opposition conceded it didn't have the numbers in the lower house to establish its own inquiry.

Industry groups and the state Labor government have warned the probe could place billions of dollars of investment at risk.

Oil and gas producer Santos accused the Liberals of ignoring the company's long track record of safe operations in SA.

But opposition resources spokesman Dan van Holst Pellekaan said an inquiry would ease concerns about fracking and clear up scaremongering by the environmental lobby.