Youcef Yousfi: “The Algerian Government won’t back down on shale gas issue”

The Minister of energy, Youcef Yousfi, has announced the projected setting up of a national observatoryfor exploration of shale gas with the participation of all the parties concerned.

The”Autonomous” Observatory’s mission willbe to monitor and control exploration of shalegas operations, said Mr. Yousfi on  the airwaves of channel one of the National Radio, stressing that this body  will comprise all stakeholders including representatives of civil society.

Mr Youcef Yousfi also made it clear that there was no turning back for the Algerian government on the planned exploration and exploitation of shale gas, adding that several high-volume wells had of late been discovered notably in the Tiaret region and in several eastern areas  of Algeria.

He also reaffirmed on this occasion that the State gave all guarantees and explanations about the shale gas to populations of the targetedareas particularly with respect to security measures and the preservation of groundwater and the environment.

In this connection, MrYousfi said that the first results of horizontal and vertical drillingoperations were”positive”, stressing his optimism about the economic performance ofthese nonconventional hydrocarbons.

“The initial results of the assessment of the non-conventional gases, mainly Shale gas, showed that reserves in the country are at least equal to the US reserves,” Mr Yousfi underscored.

The Energy Minister further underlined that there were no safety issues with the government’s shale gas programme. ‘I can reassure all that operations to extract shale gas do not constitute any danger for the population and environment,’ he told Monday the forum of the channel one of the national radio.

Meanwhile,The government sought to ease tensions in the country’s southern provinces, where protests have spread against plans to extract shale gas to compensate for a drop in conventional national energy production.

Peaceful protests broke out in In Salah in southern Algeria several weeks ago and are still continuing after national hydrocarbons firm Sonatrach started test drilling for shale gas, raising concerns about the impact of the extraction process – known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” – on the environment and the local residents’ health.

Like other states that rely heavily on oil and gas revenues, Algeria is looking for ways to better manage its finances following a 60 percent slump in world oil prices since June.