La Jornada: Sheinbaum endorses fracking in Mexico

The Committee of scientists and specialists that was formed at the instruction of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, concluded that it is feasible to do fracking in two basins of the country, which cover Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and Coahuila. To do this, he recommended techniques that reduce the environmental impact through the use of salt water, less toxic additives, and “prior, free and informed consultations” with the population of the regions where it could be carried out.

Within the strategy to strengthen energy sovereignty and reduce dependence on imported natural gas, the group of 54 experts that was formed since April, yesterday proposed 10 recommendations to carry out the extraction of unconventional deposits. The president stressed that these types of techniques have evolved with processes that are less polluting for the environment.

“Many of us opposed unconventional gas. What changes? The new technologies. Because those that were used 10, 15 years ago used very harmful chemicals, they used fresh water, they did not recycle water. Today there are even biodegradable chemicals.”

He explained that in Mexico natural gas is already used, which is obtained with fracking. When pointing out the lighting in the Treasury room of the National Palace, he indicated: “This light that we have here, if we take it on average, 70 percent of the light that illuminates us in this room comes from unconventional gas, just not from Mexico: from the United States.”

Scientists and experts considered exploration viable in the Sabinas-Burro-Picachos basins, in Coahuila, and Nuevo León, and the Burgos basin, in the northeastern area of ​​Tamaulipas.

To carry out unconventional extraction, they first recommended drilling hydrogeological research wells to confirm the existence of salt water in deep bodies of water, with sufficient volumes, and guarantee that these have no connection with aquifers intended for human consumption or for the agricultural sector. As long as these premises are not met, there will be no progress, “that is why we are going step by step,” he stated.

Unlike ordinary methods, unconventional reservoirs, which are characterized by being made up of rocks in formations with very low permeability, require the injection of high-pressure pressurizing fluid for gas extraction, explained the academics and researchers who make up this committee.

In addition to proposing that external and independent scientific monitoring be maintained, it was proposed to make public the reports and studies on this topic, the list of additives and the volume of water used. “We are going to take all the conclusions they gave us,” said Sheinbaum Pardo.

After asking that this group continue with its research process, he announced that every two and a half months the conclusions will be presented in the morning and on a web page created for that objective.

The president pointed out that her campaign promises did not include not resorting to the frackingBut, he said, “what we have always stated is that what we seek is energy sovereignty guaranteeing minimal environmental impacts.”