Algeria Drops Plans to Drill for Shale Gas

Algeria has decided to abandon plans to drill for shale gas in the country, the Prime Minister announced Wednesday.

The announcement in a television interview came in the wake of a string of protests in the southern desert cities over environmental concerns near where drilling had already begun, news agency AP reported.

"I confirm that the exploitation of shale gas is not the order of the day as for now Algeria has sufficient reserves of conventional energy to meet its needs," Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said.

Last month Algeria successfully completed its first pilot drilling of shale gas in the Ahnet Basin (In Salah), results of which is ''very promising”. This first pilot well drilled by Sonatrach confirmed the existence of substantial reserves of shale gas in the Ahnet basin, located in In Salah.

Earlier this month, Algeria’s Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi said that exploitation of shale gas in In Salah in Tamanrasset province doesn't present any danger.

Despite these announcements, Prime Minister in the television interview said that the initial drilling near the town of In Salah had just been "experimental", AP added.

He said the studies would continue for at least four more years to evaluate environmental and technical considerations.

"Between shale gas and water, the Algerian people will choose water and you think the Algerian state would be crazy enough to endanger the lives of its citizens?" he asked the interviewer. "We are a responsible government."