MEXICO CITY, Aug 6 (Reuters) – A panel of experts appointed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday recommended banning hydraulic fracturing in the Tampico-Misantla basin and using only saltwater for projects elsewhere in the country.
The recommendations, presented at Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, aim to protect biodiversity and local populations. The panel also urged continued evaluation of two northern basins as potential sites for unconventional gas extraction.
• The panel recommended barring unconventional gas extraction in the Tampico-Misantla basin, which spans the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, citing biodiversity and high population density.
• A single fracking well consumes between 50,000 and 70,000 cubic meters of water, according to Jose Antonio Hernandez, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) engineering faculty.
• Saltwater found at depths of 1,000 to 1,500 meters (3,280 to 4,920 feet) was identified as the ideal source for operations because its salinity and chemical properties make it unfit for human consumption.
• The panel recommended further evaluation of the Sabinas-Burro-Picachos and Burgos basins in northern Mexico. Sabinas-Burro-Picachos holds the greatest unconventional gas potential of the three basins assessed.
• Reuters reported on Wednesday that experts were set to exclude Tampico-Misantla from hydraulic fracturing despite its oil and gas potential, due to risks of community opposition previously seen with projects by state oil firm Pemex in densely populated areas of Veracruz.
• Sheinbaum appointed the expert panel in April to assess the viability of unconventional gas exploitation in Mexico.
(Reporting by Adriana Barrera, Editing by Iñigo Alexander)
Comments