Head of the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (Semarnat) Alicia Bárcena said during an appearance before the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday that Mexico does not currently have the conditions for fracking, contradicting reports by local media claiming that President Claudia Sheinbaum had authorized pilot tests.
“It is not that fracking pilot tests have been authorized; what has been authorized is testing to verify the availability of deep, saline water, so that the subject can even be discussed,” Bárcena clarified. “Currently, the conditions for proceeding with hydraulic fracturing operations do not exist, nor is there any authorization from the president,” she stated.
Bárcena also said that the country cannot yet move forward with this development due to restrictions regarding water availability, ecosystem protection and the regulation of this natural gas extraction technique.
Fracking is a hydrocarbon extraction method that involves drilling deep into the earth and injecting water, sand and chemicals under pressure to fracture the rock and release gas or oil.
According to Bárcena, a group of scientists gathered by the federal government has revealed that fracking could only be carried out in one place: the Sabinas-Burro-Picachos basin, located between the northern states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
Bárcena added that the scientists, in collaboration with Semarnat and the Mexican Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment (ASEA), issued a series of recommendations that should be followed before considering fracking: water intended for human consumption or agricultural use should not be used in operations: seismic activity should be continuously monitored; highly toxic or harmful chemicals should be avoided; and the protection of aquifers, drinking water and ecosystems must be guaranteed.
Bárcena further indicated that the government should update regulations applicable to the ASEA, establish guidelines for unconventional wells and develop a standard for treating saltwater.
“So, there is a series of restrictions under which fracking cannot be carried out at this time,” Bárcena concluded.
Water availability remains one of the major obstacles to fracking in the country.
According to Mexican nonprofit CartoCrítica, 100% of the freshwater required for potential development in Sabinas-Burro-Picachos would come from basins or aquifers that currently lack available water resources, raising questions about whether extraction could meet the environmental conditions established by the government.
With reports from La Jornada, Infobae and Proceso
