Mexico's Sheinbaum Notes Technological Advances in Natural Gas Extraction

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has acknowledged a shift in perspective regarding fracking, noting that while she previously opposed the practice, advancements in technology have changed the landscape of unconventional natural gas extraction. She explained that older methods, used 10 to 15 years ago, involved highly damaging chemicals, consumed significant freshwater, and did not incorporate water recycling.

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The way unconventional gas was made used many more wells than are used now, because there are other types of techniques.

"The way unconventional gas was made used many more wells than are used now, because there are other types of techniques," Sheinbaum stated during her press conference. She indicated that current methods allow for a different evaluation of unconventional gas resources compared to previous years. The focus now is on employing techniques that minimize environmental impact.

The government plans to proceed with caution, prioritizing assessments of water availability and gas potential before any extraction begins. She emphasized the importance of continued expert consultation to ensure technical viability. Crucially, the process will include consultations with local communities to guarantee that the technologies employed do not replicate the environmental damage seen in the past.

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New technologies have been developed; we will start by assessing if there is water, if there is gas before anything else and have experts continue to accompany us to guarantee at the moment we see if it is technically viable to do so.

Omar Arellano Aguilar, a researcher from the National Autonomous University of Mexico's School of Earth Sciences, highlighted the reduction in chemical substances that previously posed risks to health and the environment. This technological evolution underpins the government's revised approach to exploring unconventional natural gas resources.

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Consult with the communities in the area, and at the same time guarantee that technologies that do not have the environmental impacts of the past are indeed being used.