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French debate about geothermal stimulation vs shale fracking

French debate about geothermal stimulation vs shale fracking Installation at Soultz geothermal plant, France (source: soultz.net)
Alexander Richter 12 Apr 2013

The French oil industry sees a hope to get away with a ban on shale fracking following the granting of geothermal exploration licenses to two geothermal projects in France that plan some stimulation work, which it considers essentially the same as is banned for them.

A series of news pieces recently talked about a debate in France. In 2011, the country banned shale fracking for natural gas. Now the country’s Ministry for the Environment has awarded two exploration licenses for geothermal.

While this might not be in itself an issue, the plan of the developers for those geothermal projects plan to stimulate reservoirs, which called the oil industry to comment swiftly.

The oil industry argues that if they are banned to do shale fracking for exploration, the same should apply to geothermal development in France. The geothermal developer though point out that while the processes are similar they are not the same. The methods to be used by the geothermal developers are not the same as they won´t need hydraulic fracturing. The stimulation process applied for those geothermall wells will only stimulate rocks to open fissures that are already there, unlike in shale fracking for natural gas exploration.

Hydroshearing initiates as used by geothermal small slips in existing cracks in the rock. Surface pressures of around 1,600 psi will initiate hydroshearing, or slip on existing fractures — far less than needed to fracture the rock, as in fracking activities of the gas industry. Hence it is not as intrusive and with the same effects as the fracking activities by the oil industry.

The oil industry though is sceptical and points out that it is essentially the same and can have the same effect. So it is very likely that there will be an ongoing debate lead by the oil industry in France, mostly aimed at being allowed its shale fracking for natural gas. Clearly the geothermal industry in France, and elsewhere for that matter, needs to make sure to be on its toes and answer any potential debate.

Source: Oilprice.com