Environmental issues

Environmental protection and appropriate actions to gain the consent of local populations are substantial for all industrial projects, including shale gas exploitation. For this, there are specific requirements in each country, which must be taken into account. A general task is to improve the transparency of drilling  operations through better communication of gas-field practices and the role of existing legislation and regulation.

Generally, the environmental impacts of shale development are manageable but challenging. The largest challenges lie in the area of water management, particularly the effective recycling of fracture fluids. Concerns with this issue are particularly acute in those regions that have not previously experienced large-scale oil and gas development.

It is essential that both large and small companies follow industry best practices, that water supply and disposal are coordinated on a regional basis, and that improved methods are developed for recycling of returned fracture fluids.