The National Authority for the Fuel Market said today that the exploration contracts for the areas off the Algarve coastline are only for the exploration of gas deposits, not oil.
The body clarified that the prospecting off the Algarve coast is just that, prospecting, and detailed research to see if there is natural gas. No licenses exist for the extraction or commercial exploitation of anything found.
The clarification from the National Authority for the Fuel Market is in response to concerns across the Algarve that the exploration programme may soon lead to the commercial extraction of gas or oil.
The licences for the region are for "a survey to verify the existence of natural gas and to see if it can be exploited."
This statement is in direct response to the environmental and heritage protection body, Palp, recently formed to ascertain the real deal and the licensing details.
Palp, formed for an Algarve Free of Petroleum, was established to defend the sustainability of the region and to oppose the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Algarve’s offshore areas.
The authority said in a statement that the work planned so far only use a "probe, 35 kilometers from the coast and at a depth of 770 metres which will penetrate the seabed to test geological formations."
The authority stressed that, "there is still no confirmation of the existence of gas" or indeed the logistical capacity to withdraw gas from under the ocean floor.
"If the existence of gas is proven in amounts likely to be commercially exploited, is not predicted that any gas exploration will happen before 2019, given the required infrastructure needed and the issuing of licences, because for oil or gas a special permit is required and an environmental impact assessment is needed," said the authority.
The National Authority for the Fuel Market announced also that as from today a new website is available to give information on "all exploration activities, as well as activities related to ongoing contracts in Portugal."
PALP, which includes Quercus, Almargem and SPEA, has conducted several initiatives to encourage civic participation against the exploitation of hydrocarbons off the Algarve shoreline.
National Authority for the Fuel Market:
Palp:
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/5174-algarve-oil-exploration-fight-begins
and
http://almargem.org/palp/index.php/en/
Comments
Of course there is a need for extraction licenses after the exploration stage, I am not sure that by stating the obvious that the 'antis' will be cheered, but the deal for revenue percentages, or 'percentage of profit' as the government foolishly has signed up for, has already been signed so the extraction license will be a formality.
Hopefully the next government will scrap any extraction programme as being too close to a sensitive natural area which relies on tourism and has been promoting itself as such for 50 years.
The only good news is that by the time the Portuguese authorities process all the licences we will be in the next millennium.