Emboldened French Shale Opponents Seek to Cast A Broader Net

Encouraged by the repeal of three licenses granted for shale gas exploration in the south of France, politicians and environmentalists are taking aim at the remaining 61 oil and gas exploration permits issued throught the country.

Last week, France’s Minister of the Environment Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet confirmed that two licenses for Nant (Aveyron) and Villeneuve-de-Berg (Ardèche) granted to Schuepbach Energy. and the Montelimar (Drôme) license granted to Total SA, would be repealed.

Now, unconventional hydrocarbon opponents are pressing the government to take a further step.

Pascal Durand, spokesman for Europe Ecologie, The Greens, has called for the government to take steps leading to an "absolute and complete repeal of the 64 exploration permits."

Chief targets for the activists are permits granted for oil exploration in the Paris region to Vermilion Energy, Toreador Resources and partner Hess, and others, as well as the Cahors Permit application of shale gas explorer 3Legs Resources.

The Socialist Group in the Regional Council of Ile-de-France has urged the repeal of licenses for unconventional hydrocarbon development granted in the Paris Basin, site of conventional oil production and thought to hold significant opportunity for shale oil production.

On Thursday, opponents put forth a bill in the National Assembly calling for the prohibition of exploration and exploitation of unconventional oil and the repeal of granted licenses for unconventional oil and gas exploration.  A vote on this matter is reportedly planned for Tuesday, two days before the Official Gazette is to publish details of the license revocation and indicate the status of the remaining 61 licenses.

The revocation of the permits to Schuepbach and Total followed the passage of legislation banning the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing in the use of unconventional hydrocarbon development.

The legislation required license holders of prospective shale gas and shale oil concessions to advise the Directorate General for Energy and Climate if they intended to move forth with exploration activities and to declare the technique that would be used.

Any companies undertaking hydraulic fracturing in unconventional hydrocarbon extraction would have its permits revoked.

Schuepbach reportedly did not repudiate 'fracking' as part of its activities. Total said that it intended to continue investigations into developing shale gas resources in the southeast of France, but stressed it would not use the banned technique.

However, Total's position was not accepted by the government.

The government appears to accepted the commitment of the balance of license holders that they have no plans to use resort to hydraulic fracturing.