Repsol's Shale Gas Exploration Still on Hold in Cantabria

Repsol postponed planned shale gas explorations in Northern Spain, following a ban on the use of hydraulic fracturing imposed by the Cantabria region in April. 

According to Bloomberg, Repsol’s shale exploration can’t begin yet because “several requirements haven’t been met.”

Repsol, Spain’s largest oil producer, holds a concession over 290 square miles across the Cantabria region. It was licensed in 2011 for six years, conditional upon a minimum investment of 30 million euros in exploration activities.

Cantabria banned hydraulic fracturing on environmental concerns in April, shrinking central government’s hopes for a project to boost jobs in the region.

The Spanish Energy Ministry, through the General Directorate of Energy and Mines, is granting exploration permits in various autonomous regions, mainly in the north of Spain, where there has been an increase in recent discoveries of shale gas deposits.