Lawmakers in France's lower house of Parliament gave preliminary backing on Jan. 25 for a total ban on shale gas exploration and extraction.
However, it is not certain that the ban will go to the Senate and return to the lower house for a final vote before parliamentary work is suspended in February so lawmakers can campaign for a legislative election in June.
The conservatives, which have a majority in the Senate but not the lower house, are opposed to the ban, which would come on top of an ban on fracking in place since 2011.
Recommended Reading
Oil Demand Set to Peak by 2026 in Updated Forecast
Rystad Energy is downgrading its peak oil demand forecast citing rapid growth in the electric vehicle market being driven by the ongoing energy transition push.
NextDecade to Certify Natural Gas Emissions for Texas Rio Grande LNG
Project Canary, which has recently launched responsibly sourced natural gas pilot projects with shale giants EQT and Chesapeake Energy, will certify emissions from the gas wellhead to Rio Grande for U.S. LNG developer NextDecade.
US House Panel Advances Bill to Allow Anti-trust Suits Against OPEC
The so-called NOPEC bill, introduced by Representative Steve Chabot, would allow the U.S. Justice Department to bring anti-trust lawsuits against oil-producing countries in OPEC.