French President Rules Out Shale Gas Exploration

Rig Zone ^ | July 15, 2013 | Jon Mainwaring

[thackney]

President of France François Hollande ruled out shale gas exploration under his administration, as the country celebrated Bastille Day.

Speaking in a televised broadcast Sunday, Hollande said: "As long as I am president, there will be no shale gas exploration in France."

Hollande also joked: "What is shale gas? It is an Eldorado that just needs to be drilled?"

Hollande added that there was a risk to groundwater due to the hydraulic fracturing techniques used and that "one sees a number of consequences of this in the United States".

France banned exploring for shale gas in 2011 despite the country – along with Poland – having the greatest potential for recoverable shale gas in Europe, according to the International Energy Agency. Schuepbach Energy, which held exploration permits in France that were cancelled as a result of the 2011 ban, recently brought a legal case to challenge the ban in the French courts.

Despite the French ban on fracking the country's leading oil and gas company, Total, is pursuing shale gas opportunities elsewhere in Europe.

At a recent event held in London that brought together parties interested in unconventional gas from industry and government, a senior executive for France's Total confirmed to Rigzone that the company was looking to invest in shale gas opportunities in the UK. Total is already involved in exploring for shale gas in Poland.

[thackney]

France has very little domestic natural gas production, and the French government banned the use of hydraulic fracturing to explore unconventional resources such as shale gas. French authorities project natural gas demand to remain stable or fall slightly through 2020. France imports natural gas through a variety of cross-border pipelines from the Netherlands, Norway, and Russia. France also imports liquefied natural gas at a number of ports from countries around the world, notably Algeria and Qatar. The power sector and industry sector have growing gas demand, while residential sector demand is starting to decrease, mostly because of efficiency gains, according to the International Energy Agency.

France, Country Analysis Note
http://www.eia.gov/countries/country-data.cfm?fips=FR

[headstamp 2]

“Hollande added that there was a risk to groundwater due to the hydraulic fracturing techniques used and that “one sees a number of consequences of this in the United States”.

Idiot no nothing politician.

[thackney]

[Texas Eagle]

Hollande also joked: "What is shale gas? It is an Eldorado that just needs to be drilled?"

It is the end of the Middle East's grip on the world's balls.

Not that you have any, Monsieur Hollande.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Hollande added that there was a risk to groundwater due to the hydraulic fracturing techniques used

Which proves astoundingly enough that he knows even LESS about Science and Geology than he does about Economics.

[stinkerpot65]

Idiots. Then again, more money for Texas.

[thackney]

Only if the LNG exports go forward.

[PATRIOT1876]

Hollande, bringing energy technology back to the 18th century...

[PATRIOT1876]

“Let zhem put cake into wherever eet iz that they put zee gas.

No?”

~Hollande

[PATRIOT1876]

* * Hollande added that there was a risk to groundwater due to the hydraulic fracturing techniques used

Which proves astoundingly enough that he knows even LESS about Science and Geology than he does about Economics. * *

One thing you can say for Hollande, he knows about as much about Science as al gore does...

[Praxeologue]

Putin is laughing all the way to the bank.

France will remain a customer for Russia's overpriced gas.