Breaking news this afternoon is that gas and oil drilling schedules planned for the Algarve/ Alentejo coast have been suspended for three months.
Anti-oil platform PALP has sent out a press release explaining that the suspension follows “the proceedings of the legal bid for an injunction promoted by PALP” which began hearing witness statements in Loulé this morning (click here).
Three months however still gets us to the very month in which Galp/ Eni – the consortium holding drilling rights – has said it wants to get started.
Explains PALP, the moratorium on “all works off the Costa Vicentina, whether drilling or preparation” for drilling has been proposed by all parties “bearing in the mind the entrance of new information”.
The new information is a decision by APA, the Portuguese environment agency, on whether or not an environmental impact assessment (AIA) is required for each project.
“After the decision by APA on whether or not there should be an AIA, we will know the way this process goes forwards”, says the statement, stressing that PALP’s ultimate goal is to stop every single contract that has been signed, particularly as each one paves the way for research, prospection, development and production.
Today’s news follows yesterday’s powerful meeting of council leaders, NGOs and civic groups which warned that government insistence on fossil fuel exploration in the south would be seen as “a declaration of war” (click here).
It is not, however, as ‘good as it sounds’: anti-oil group ASMAA explains: “This is not a win for the anti-oil lobby at all. We have all lost though very clever legal outmanoeuvring by Galp/ Eni’s legal and executive team, with the cumplicity of the government.
“What has essentially happened is that in one simple legal move, the consortium has bought over a year of time. They will not need to go through the process of applying for a new drilling (TUPEM) licence, and as long as the environmental impact study is approved (which we have every reason to believe it will be) they will be cleared for drilling up to April 2019”.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
