French Reports Backs Search for Gas and Oil Shales
A preliminary report on the environmental impact of shale gas and oil extraction backs the search and investigation of such resources, providing that such activities are "compatible with priorities in terms of natural sites preservation."
The report concludes that for the sake of France's energy security, it is "legitimate to see if such resources [as oil sands and shale oil and gas] are potentially present in the national and European territories."
The report by Senator Jacques Blanc is due to be released on April 15th.
The French government today announced the cancellation of "permissions already given" in projects of exploration of gas shale with current technologies (i.e. hydraulic fracturing’) heavily criticized by environmentalists, without wanting to close the door to future exploitation of these deposits but with new techniques.
Speaking at the National Assembly, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that permits granted to explore potential shale gas fields in France must be canceled and that the whole issue must be reviewed from the start.
However, the Prime Minister stressed that "there is no question of closing the door to technological advances that allow future access to new energy resources."
The report was commissioned following concern from parliamentarians, environmentalists and communities located near to potential shale gas and oil reserves. The government implemented a suspension of shale gas and shale oil activities, pending the results of an environmental-impact study.
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