The government of Nova Scotia has imposed an indefinite ban on hydraulic fracturing onshore.
Energy Minister Andrew Younger said the government would introduce legislation in the fall to prohibit use of the completion technique in onshore shales.
“Nova Scotians have overwhelmingly expressed concern about allowing high volume hydraulic fracturing to be a part of onshore shale development in this province at this time,” he said. The prohibition applies to “high-volume” hydraulic fracturing, he said without elaboration.
The decision followed an extended study commissioned by the provincial government and a 10-month comment period (OGJ Online, Apr. 23, 2012).
Environmental groups welcomed the decision, which drew criticism from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
Dave Collyer, president and chief executive officer of the group, said the move “appears to be largely based on considerations other than the technical knowledge and experience of industry regulators and experts in Canadian jurisdictions where hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for many decades to develop natural gas.
Noting that Nova Scotia’s onshore gas potential is largely unproven, Collyer added, “Today’s announcement has the potential to preclude Nova Scotians from benefiting from the responsible development of this resource.”
