Platts: French coalbed gas drilling presents risks even without fracking: land agencies

France's national geological and environment agencies have published a joint study outlining several significant risks of coalbed gas exploration without using hydraulic fracturing, and called for access to exploration sites to examine specific dangers.

Geological agency BRGM and industrial environment agency INERIS studied findings from coalbed methane projects around the world, and in a summary published Friday, the groups said several environmental risks remain in bringing the gas to the surface.

France has a national ban on hydraulic fracturing -- implemented in 2011 in response to rising opposition to shale gas exploration -- which also applies to coalbed methane drilling.

However, coalbed deposits tapped in the exploration process are often sufficiently cracked to not require the chemical pumping process of hydraulic fracturing, and often not as deep underground as shale gas resources.  MORE