Unconventional oil and gas in France: From popular distrust to politicization of the underground

Abstract

France has a long history in mining and, to a lesser extent, in hydrocarbon extraction, but these industries were both in decline by the end of the 20th century. Following the American shale boom in the 2000′s, there was a sudden renewal of hydrocarbon exploration in 2010 with new exploration licenses being delivered for unconventional oil and gas projects. These projects first remained confined to specialists of such industries until the end of 2010, when a massive social movement opposed shale gas exploration. This paper aims at drawing a picture of this social movement and its narrative work to obtain the ban on hydraulic fracturing by the French government in 2011. Showing the oil and gas supporters’ failed attempts to reopen the debate in the following years, we outline how the ban contributed to negatively shape the representation of extractive industries outside unconventional hydrocarbons. We demonstrate that i) public and political perceptions of unconventional gas in general were built mostly during the sudden burst of mobilization in late 2010, with the opponent’s narratives encountering almost no resistance, ii) previous knowledge and experience with extractive industries in some areas of France facilitates social license for unconventional gas without the use of hydraulic fracturing there, but it does not guarantee the development of the industry, iii) the controversy about hydraulic fracturing participated to shape negative perception about extractive industries in France in general, including ore mining.