France puts on shale brakes

On hold: shale development in France

Philippe Wojazer

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Aleya Begum

 14 February 2011 12:46 GMT

The French Energy Ministry has pushed ahead with its decision to halt all shale activity in the country until a report commissioned earlier this month on the effects of the controversial extraction method is completed.



In a meeting with Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet and Industry Minister Eric Besson last week, shale licence-holders agreed to postpone their development plans until the findings of the report are made, said the Ministry of Environment.



The move will cause delays in drilling plans for US integrated company Hess Oil and Canada’s Toreador Resources.



Drilling on three vertical wells, with the possibility of subsequent hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, was due to start in March.



“The partners will voluntarily delay their Paris basin programme until after the…

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