Released July 22, 2013 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The global shale gas revolution might be bypassing France following a statement from the French President that there will be no shale gas exploration under his watch.
Socialist President Francois Hollande claimed: "The debate on shale gas has gone on for too long. While I am president, there will be no shale gas exploration in France."
He added: "What is shale gas? Is it an Eldorado that just needs to be drilled?"
His stance was made clear following a decision by France's highest court to examine a challenge to the current law which bans the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for extracting shale gas. Fracking was banned in France in 2011 under the previous President, Nicolas Sarkozy, over fears that it could potentially cause earthquakes or contaminate ground supplies of water.
U.S. firm, Schuepbach Energy, is leading the legal challenge to change the law on constitutional grounds after the ban in 2011 cancelled two permits it held for exploring shale gas reserves in the south of France. The court has referred the challenge to the Constitutional Council and stated: "It is now up to the Constitutional Council to decide whether the law is constitutional, within three months."
According to a study from the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), carried out without exploratory drilling, France has technically recoverable reserves of 3.8 trillion cubic metres (137 trillion cubic feet). Of the 14 European countries surveyed, France was second only to Poland in its level of shale gas deposits.
Many European countries are keen on exploring their shale gas reserves in an effort to emulate the success of the U.S., which has seen shale gas revolutionise its energy mix. In May this year, shale gas formed a cornerstone at the gathering of European leaders at an energy summit held by the European Council. For additional information, see May 27, 2013, article - Shale Gas Fever Hits Europe.
In contrast, France's neighbour, the U.K., sees huge potential for shale gas. Last month, the country's Institute of Directors (IoD) stated that shale gas exploration could be a "new North Sea" for the country, which would lead to less gas import, cheaper gas, and create tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in revenue. For additional information, see June 4, 2013, article - Shale Gas Boom Predicted for U.K..
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
Socialist President Francois Hollande claimed: "The debate on shale gas has gone on for too long. While I am president, there will be no shale gas exploration in France."
He added: "What is shale gas? Is it an Eldorado that just needs to be drilled?"
His stance was made clear following a decision by France's highest court to examine a challenge to the current law which bans the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for extracting shale gas. Fracking was banned in France in 2011 under the previous President, Nicolas Sarkozy, over fears that it could potentially cause earthquakes or contaminate ground supplies of water.
U.S. firm, Schuepbach Energy, is leading the legal challenge to change the law on constitutional grounds after the ban in 2011 cancelled two permits it held for exploring shale gas reserves in the south of France. The court has referred the challenge to the Constitutional Council and stated: "It is now up to the Constitutional Council to decide whether the law is constitutional, within three months."
According to a study from the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), carried out without exploratory drilling, France has technically recoverable reserves of 3.8 trillion cubic metres (137 trillion cubic feet). Of the 14 European countries surveyed, France was second only to Poland in its level of shale gas deposits.
Many European countries are keen on exploring their shale gas reserves in an effort to emulate the success of the U.S., which has seen shale gas revolutionise its energy mix. In May this year, shale gas formed a cornerstone at the gathering of European leaders at an energy summit held by the European Council. For additional information, see May 27, 2013, article - Shale Gas Fever Hits Europe.
In contrast, France's neighbour, the U.K., sees huge potential for shale gas. Last month, the country's Institute of Directors (IoD) stated that shale gas exploration could be a "new North Sea" for the country, which would lead to less gas import, cheaper gas, and create tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in revenue. For additional information, see June 4, 2013, article - Shale Gas Boom Predicted for U.K..
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.
