"Nothing will be done in the Algarve to undermine values of tourism and environmental issues"
The Secretary of State for Energy, Jorge Sanches Seguro, is to use all legal means possible to reverse the oil and gas exploration and extraction concession granted to Portfuel covering much of the Algarve’s onshore territory.
Portugal’s Director General of Energy and Geology said today that the two Algarve on-shore drilling concessions awarded to Portfuel, owned by Sousa Cintra (pictured), "complied with the requirements" and that he did not have any choice in the matter.
Carlos Almeida said his directorate had no choice but to send a positive assessment to the ministry as Portfuel’s concession contract for the exploration and exploitation and extraction of oil "met all the necessary requirements," a claim vehemently disputed by activists.
The Attorney General’s Office has decided that the two concession contracts awarded to Portfuel to explore for and extract oil and gas from two large areas of the Algarve’s land mass are valid.
The controversial contracts were awarded in the dying days of the Passos Coelho administration last autumn.
There’s been so much confusion over what took place in the Portuguese Parliament on Friday July 1st, when the oil and gas exploration saga came up for voting, that we feel it’s important to clarify what really took place, writes Laurinda Seabra from ASMAA.
On Friday July 1st there were five key proposals from political parties - PAN, BE, PCP, PEV (Green party) and the PS, of those, the following points were approved:
Let's look at this oil exploration in Portugal issue in context because it appears there's lots of confusion, writes ASMAA
There's the belief that the Portuguese government can just with a simple gesture cancel all oil and gas exploration contracts in Portugal. Nothing could be further from the truth. The situation is a lot more complex.
In a major victory for the Algarve’s anti-oil lobby, the Portuguese parliament today voted for the “immediate suspension of the development of exploitation and extraction of oil and gas, conventional or unconventional, in the Algarve."
The Left Bloc proposal gained unexpected support from the Communist party and the ruling Socialist Party which until now had backed Prime Minister António Costa in promoting oil and gas exploration “so that the government knows what reserves are out there.”
The Algarve’s Communist party is organising a public session in Faro on the 'big oil debate.'
"Oil and gas in the Algarve: study, assess, consider, decide,' will be held at the Clube Farense in the Algarvian capital on July 8th, at 21:30 hours, organised by the directorate of the regional Communist Party.
Aljezur offshore drilling update: feedback from Lisbon events last Wednesday, June 22nd
Last week was an eventful week. Two demonstrations, handing over of opposition submissions to Portuguese Parliament and to the management of DGRM followed by a very successful “Manifesta” in Aljezur on Saturday the 25 June.
