France Set to Revisit Fracturing, Shale Debate
The battle over the development of France’s unconventional hydrocarbon resources is set to reignite with the publication of a report in favour of research activities in hydraulic fracturing to investigate shale oil and gas resource potential.
A joint report of the Conseil Général de l'Industrie, de l'Énergie et des Technologies (CGIET - General Council of Industry, Energy and Technology) and the Conseil général de l’Environnement et du Développement durable (CGEDD - General Council of the Environment and Sustainable Development), recommends the establishment of a national commission on shale exploration and exploitation techniques.
The commission will be broadly based, with representation from the legislative bodies (state representatives, territorial representatives, an MP and a Senator), representatives of industry, industry employee groups, NGO’s and scientific experts.
The commission’s duties will include collecting data in order to identify the potential resources and examining if they can be developed in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
A key focus will be on determing the conditions for environmentally acceptable hydraulic fracturing operations, including establishing regulations for managing risks and protecting the environment during the experimentation of new techniques to operate on shale oil and gas.
The commission will initially focus on the oil shales of the Paris Basin. Test hydraulic fracturing could reportedly occur as early as Spring 2013.
The report immediately drew a reponse from organizations opposed to unconventional hydrocarbon development in France. In a joint statement, Friends of the Earth, France Libertés, ATTAC, AITEC, RAC, Greenpeace, Helio, CSIR and WECF Network for Nuclear Phaseout, denounced the "hypocrisy of the government."
The release of the report, eight months after France implemented a ban on the extraction of hydrocarbon resources by hydraulic fracturing, comes at a time when the energy mix and energy pricing is playing a heighted role in the French Presidential elections.
Speaking to RTL, the Socialist Candidate for President indicated a policy shift from the party's previous unequivocal opposition to shale oil and shale gas development.
Francois Hollande commented: "You should never rule out anything, especially if research shows that one can obtain this gas without harming nature."
Rising energy costs are increasingly impacting the purchasing power of the average French citizen, with estimates of upwards of three million French homes currently facing difficulties in being able to afford heat and electricity.
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