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Showing posts from October, 2013

Shale Gas: French Constitutional Court Upholds Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing

The French Constitutional Court delivered on 11 October 2013 its decision as regards the conformity of Law No. 2011-835 of 13 July 2011 with the French Constitution . The law introduced a ban on the exploration and exploitation of liquids and gaseous hydrocarbons by the means of hydraulic fracturing . The law also repealed the research permits granted when such permits intended to use hydraulic fracturing. Therefore, the Dallas-based exploration company Schuepbach Energy LLC , which possessed two exploration permits, raised a question as to the conformity of the law with the Constitution. Importantly, the Constitutional Court backs the difference between hydraulic fracturing and the exploitation of geothermal resources , the latter being permitted. The press release from the Constitutional Court is available here (in French).  Full text of the decision here . A more detailed analysis will follow rapidly on this blog.