GDF Chief: Closing Doors Completely on Shale Gas a Major Mistake

The CEO of French energy giant GDF Suez, says he agrees with the French government that hydraulic fracturing must be made safer for the environment before it is used to develop natural gas from shale resources in Europe, but that closing the door forever to shale gas development would be a "a major mistake."

Speaking after yesterday’s announcement that the French government has repealed licenses for shale gas exploration granted earlier to Schuepbach Energy and Total SA, Gerard Mestrallet told Sud Ouest, that it was proper that the government take the appropriate steps to evaluate technology and processes.

There must be time to consider this "scientific exploration techniques, the biodegradability of particles added to the water drilling and recovery of injected water," he said.