Algeria: Protest Against Shale Gas In Various Cities

The mobilization against the exploitation of shale gas in Algeria continues Saturday with the organization of several actions of protest against the project, local media reported.

A Ouargla 800 km southeast of Algiers, “dozens of people” observed in “peaceful” sit-in to demand the cessation of unconventional gas mining project, according to APS.

Another rally was held in the town of Ghardaia Metlili (600 km south of Algiers) where a hundred citizens denounced the exploitation of unconventional gas project at In-Salah which was inaugurated a pilot wells, the source added. A similar rally was held in Batna (east).

At In Salah, the cradle of protest which enters its second month uprising, several hundred people have highlighted “the risk of the project on the environment and human health associated with the use of chemicals during phase exploitation of this energy, “says the Agency, advising that” discussions are scheduled this week “in the capital between a delegation of the population of this city and the government.

For its part, the newspaper “El Watan” reported in its electronic version, that the inhabitants of that city Friday intercepted a convoy of trucks “trivialized” for hydraulic fracturing in shale gas wells in Dar Lahmar .

These events came just days after the intervention of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, during a council of ministers, during which he reassured the pilot holes will be “completed in the near future” and the actual operation “is not yet on the agenda. ”

In addition to fears about the negative effects on both public health and uses of certain chemical fluids described as cancer genes- the environment (groundwater), people of the South, who began their protest in late December, are particularly concerned about the impact of shale gas on scarce water resources in their area. A shale drilling requires amounts of water still larger than a conventional well. However, the region is very low in this vital matter and depends on groundwater. It would be exposed to severe water stress, in case Sonatrach is implementing its plans to drill 200 per year for a production of 20 billion gas M3.

To compensate for the drastic drop in oil prices, Algeria intends to invest in shale gas in spite of the opposition of the people, experts and environmentalists.