Gironde: the creation of new oil drilling creates controversy

Under the forest of La Teste-de-Buch, in Gironde, oil is hidden. It has been exploited here since the 1960s. Today, eight new wells could be drilled. A favorable opinion has just been issued by the commissioner responsible for the public inquiry. According to her, the drilling will cause little nuisance. “No resident has reported any serious malfunction or major nuisance (…) the Vermilion company has sought to limit the environmental impacts of the project (…)”she concluded in a public inquiry.

Locally produced oil

Vermilion, a Canadian company, believes that it is not currently exploiting the full potential of the two oil deposits, present under the forest. One is 2,200 m deep, the other is 3,000 m. While the experts of IPCC recommend getting out of fossil fuels as quickly as possible, how can new oil drilling be justified? For the operator, as long as France consumes oil, it is better to produce it locally. Oil exploitation will be banned in France in 2040. According to its opponents, such a project goes against our country’s climate objectives. The future of the project is in the hands of the prefect of Gironde.

Among our sources

Vermilion Energy Documents

Vermilion Energy report on the Cazaux site

Opinion of the investigating commissioner

Pantxika Etcheverry is Managing Director France of Vermilion Energy

Vital Baude is New Aquitaine Regional Councilor, Ecologist, solidarity and citizen group and municipal councilor of Arcachon. He sits on the Joint Syndicate of the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park, on the South Atlantic shore council of the coastal conservatory, and on the maritime council of the South Atlantic Façade.

Non-exhaustive list.