France to Keep Shale Ban Until Fracking Alternative Emerges

France to Keep Shale Ban Until Fracking Alternative Emerges by Tara Patel, August 29, 2012, Bloomberg News, Business Week
France isn’t prepared to tap its shale energy resources until “clean technologies” are invented to replace hydraulic fracturing, Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said. The technique known as fracking causes “irreversible pollution” in some cases, the minister was cited as saying in an interview published today in Les Echos newspaper. It will probably be replaced by a different method, he said. The French parliament passed a law last year outlawing fracking because of concern it can pollute drinking water, effectively halting plans by companies including Total SA (FP) to explore for shale gas in southern France. … “Debate is now centered on a technology that doesn’t exist right now to my knowledge. A new technique hasn’t yet been demonstrated.” [Emphasis added]

This entry was posted in Global Frac News. Bookmark the permalink.