Silva said that the Galp-ENI test well drilling will go ahead. If the consortium discovers oil, it will be able to pump it after a mandatory environmental impact assessment. Other licenses, such as the one held by Australian oil and gas company, Australis, remain in force.
Regarding the Environment Agency’s decision regarding the Galp-ENI test well, Augusto Santos Silva said that the "Government follows the APA decision and follows the 50 measures imposed by the APA on safety and environmental risk limitation issues."
"We have honoured the contractual commitments on behalf of the Portuguese State. We have submitted this process to the rules of the applicable legislation and the APA concluded that there is no need to study the environmental impact," said the minister.
"This decision of the APA does not change what is a firm commitment of Portugal, taken on by the Government, to be carbon neutral by the year 2050," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs (pictured).
"It is only a matter of exploration, of research, and what the test well reveals. If oil is confirmed, this will contribute to import substitution. The import bill for oil weighs negatively on the trade balance and is very high, "To reduce dependence on oil we will need it for various purposes," waffled Augusto Santos Silva whose grasp of economics slipped some time ago.
Comments
Do you know, I was wondering the same myself, why do so many people on this site use pseudonymous. They must think we don't know ! ! !
Yes, and why does the writer use so many different psuedonyms?
How can Pres. Micron's reforms deal with countries like Italy (not that his own France has exactly evolved much either) which has spent the last 60 years playing with the "Guidelines and Inconveniences" sent to it by Brussels and still has no grasp of what is required. So wants out.
What a absolute load of BULL.... Mr Santos . You have cut a very bad deal for the Portuguese People with the Oil Industry. That will bring in next to nothing. As for Quality control and Safety. I hope the Oil Industry Respect they are working in Europe and not the third world..