Study to pinpoint impact of shale gas exploitation on environment

Algerian Minister of land development and environment, Dalila Boudjemaâ, has announced that physic-chemical analyses of sea-water are being undertaken by the laboratories concerned in order to determine the level of seawater pollution in certain targeted beaches of the Algerian seaboard in anticipation of the 2014 summer season.

In a statement on Sunday to the press outside the plenary session of the upper house of parliament devoted to the government’s new action plan, Mrs Dalila Boudjemaâ also said that the outcome of these minute analyses would be known within the next ten days at the latest.

The Minister further indicated that her ministerial department would embark soon upon a comprehensive study aimed at pinpointing the impact of the projected shale gas exploration by Algeria on environment.

It should be noted that after giving the green light last week for shale gas exploration, President Abdellaziz Bouteflika also gave instructions to the government to see to it that the future shale gas exploitation wouldn’t have any nefarious impact on water resources and environment.

Meanwhile, US companies are interested in the exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons in Algeria, said Sunday in Algiers, US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.

“Our companies are interested in the Algerian market because they have an extensive experience in the exploitation of shale gas and oil, which enabled us to achieve and economic boom and energy independence. I hope that the expertise acquired over the past years will be also used in Algeria,” he said at the end of his meeting with Minister of Energy Youcef Yousfi.

The US Secretary of Energy also underlined the “huge investment opportunities in the sector of energy in Algeria for American businessmen.”

“We should not neglect the offshore oil and gas exploration (…) many firms are operating in this field, especially in the Gulf of Mexico and their experience can be beneficial in Algeria where the water depth is almost similar,” he added.