Canary Islands call vote against oil drilling

[Ivemovedon]

The production of north sea oil has not made an iota of difference to the fuel bills of the uk population. In fact we have probably the highest cost in the world to fill a tank of petrol. There's revenue from taxing it yes, but you don't make joe public more prosperous by taxing him, just poorer. Those taxes will end up in the usual black hole of wastage that successive British governments have been so good at filling

I don't dispute that S on Q had a very jolly time and there was money spent by those fortunate enough to be earning it. But i do dispute it had any effect on the major part of the population.

But as fuel production is of such benefit to us all i shall be looking forward to the long awaited start of fracking. Cheap gas for us all !! Having lived in rip off Britain most of my life i won't be holding my breath on that one. Yep the extractors will profit and there will be quite a few others making a mint out of it. But the the rest of us? Forget it you won't even know it happened..

...unless of course you're unfotunate enough to live above a bore hole.

[admin]

I confess to not having read all the articles that have been published on this and therefore my question might already have been covered, but here goes: isn't the exploration taking place nearer to Africa than The Canaries, and if so, wouldn't any shore base (and the associated benefits) be over there?

No. You can see on the map below that they will be within the borders of the Canarian waters.

Click to enlarge

Map of proposed Oil Prospecting



Map of proposed Whale & Dolphin sanctuary
from: http://www.care2.com/causes/profit-from-oil-or-protect-whales-and-dolphins-canary-islands-its-your-choice.html

[bedouin]

Good to see that they've already decided to give maximum protection to the beaches in the south! 

[Spike On Q]

In Africa - with all the security issues, perhaps not!

[SheilaW]

I'm really divided on this issue; one day I'm against oil exploration because of potential spills, the next I'm for it in hope that it might bring some much needed employment opportunities, probably in the support sectors.

Likewise, Tamara. I think I might just wait to see how things pan out with the exploration before I start getting too hot under the collar.
[quoteisn't the exploration taking place nearer to Africa than The Canaries, and if so, wouldn't any shore base (and the associated benefits) be over there?[/quote]
It looks pretty much halfway across, but I don't think Repsol, being Spanish, would base their ops in Africa. But if Repsol don't investigate won't some Moroccan company do the work, just a couple of km further away? I suppose that if oil is found then they'll all be at it if they can, but I'd rather Repsol were involved first. I might not trust them wholeheartedly (actually, I don't much at all) but I do reckon their operations will be a little safer for both people and the environment.

[admin]

From: http://www.thelocal.es/20141021/oil-found-200-kilometres-off-canary-islands
"
Morocco oil find shakes up Canary Islands vote

Drillers say have found oil in Moroccan waters just 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Spain's Canary Islands, a possible game changer as Canarians prepare to vote on whether Spanish energy giant Repsol should be allowed to search for oil in the waters off the archipelago.

With a month to go before Canary Islands residents vote in a non-binding consultation on whether controversial oil exploration plans should be approved in the archipelago`s waters, the terms of the debate could be affected by the announcement that crude has been found in nearby Moroccan territory, Spanish daily El Mundo reports.

The Genel-San Leon-Serica consortium has said that it has found oil at a depth of just under three 3,000 meters off the coast of Sidi Ifni, a former Spanish colony in southern Morocco, near the border with the disputed Western Sahara territory.

The English-Turkish consortium will now request permission from the Moroccan government to carry out further tests to see if the oil is of commercial quality. Both Spain and Morocco have been searching for oil in the same Atlantic region for the past 15 years, but this find could be the most encouraging yet for either side.

The find is located some 125 miles northeast of the Canary Islands, and only 80 miles from the area in which Repsol is due to start exploration later this year after the Spanish government approved the oil giant`s prospection plans.

This decision enraged environmental campaigners in the archipelago and the Canary Islands government has responded by calling a popular vote on November 23rd in which people will be asked if “the Canaries should change its environmental and tourism model for the sake of oil and gas exploration”.

The government in Madrid had said the vote is illegal and will make no difference.

Industry sources quoted by El Mundo say that the Sidi Moussa-1 area where the Genel-San Leon-Serica consortium has made its find is geologically “very similar” to the Canarian undersea zone in which Repsol plans to prospect to greater depths of up to 4,000 metres. The same sources say that if the find was confirmed as commercially viable, this would “shift the debate” in the Canaries as “it would give Repsol the benefit of the doubt”.

Spanish Energy Minister José Manuel Soria, who is also the leader of the Popular Party in the Canary Islands, has said it would be “absurd” to watch on as Morocco exploited its oil reserves while the Canaries allowed its oil to remain locked underground.

The Spanish government hopes that oil discoveries in the Canary Islands could supply 10 percent of the country`s needs.



"

[Spike On Q]

Before you can vote you must sell any fossil fueled vehicle you own and attend the polling station on foot or by bicycle

Also you must commit to living in a tepee or cave and not use electricity or other fossil fuel generated power source. You must not use water provided by desalination which uses HUGE amounts of electricity, only water generated by natural means, condensation!

Oh and the real winner - - you can't use the internet - it needs electricity -- so we wont have to listen to this anti oil rubbish any more

[Ivemovedon]

Yes heard a lot of that opinion recently, even among MP's. Unfortunately they turn out to be NIMBY's

[admin]

From: http://www.thelocal.es/20141101/canaries-oil-plan-prompts-eu-complaints

Canaries oil plan prompts EU complaints

Major environmental campaign groups and local councils complained to EU authorities on Friday over plans to explore for oil and gas off Spain's Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination.

Authorities in the Canaries oppose the government-backed plan by oil giant Repsol to spend three years probing below the sea bed 50 kilometres from the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace plus municipal councils on the two islands all said they were lodging complaints against the project.

Greenpeace accused the Spanish government of delaying moves to have the two islands listed as European protected natural areas so the oil plan could go ahead.

The WWF said in a statement that the plan breached EU directives on conservation of flora and fauna such as dolphins.

The two councils meanwhile told AFP they had complained of irregularities in the awarding of exploration licences to Repsol and complained that the project will threaten their vital tourism sector.

A European Commission official confirmed it had received four complaints against the Repsol plan and was investigating them.

The Canary Islands regional government also opposes the plan and has called a referendum to allow residents to vote on it, but the national government has blocked that via a constitutional appeal.

Repsol has promised to take steps to protect the environment and says the project will create jobs in the islands, where the unemployment rate is over 30 percent.

Protesters demonstrated across the Canaries on October 18th.

Greenpeace has sent its campaign boat Arctic Sunrise to the islands and erected a six-metre replica oil spout in protest.