Germany and fracking

In February 2013, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government agreed on draft regulation to allow for fracking in the country. The legislation would outlaw fracking in water protection areas and near drinking water wells and would make environmental impact studies mandatory for new projects. The measures would permit the technique in non-restricted areas under a unified legal framework.

According to Volker Steinbach, the head of the natural resources department of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany has up to 2.3 billion cubic meters (81 billion cubic feet) of shale gas. Companies including Exxon Mobil have drilled test wells into unconventional natural gas reservoirs in Germany.

Fracking has been used at least 275 times on conventional reserves in Lower Saxony state since the 1960s, according to a study presented by the Environment Ministry.

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