What would a return of shale gas in Québec look like? | Canada's National Observer: Climate News

Listen to article Despite the well-documented environmental consequences of the shale gas industry and the social fractures exposed during the sector's long saga, premier-hopeful Christine Fréchette is opening the door to reviving gas exploration in Québec. A return of the industry could require the drilling of thousands of wells between Montréal and Québec City — in populated areas. No shale gas exploration well has been drilled in Québec in more than 15 years, no commercial potential has been identified and the Coalition Avenir Québec government itself passed legislation in 2022 putting an end to all oil and gas projects in the province. Companies are now seeking $18 billion "for all the damages caused" by the decision to shut them out. Several of the wells that were drilled have leaked. Fréchette nonetheless argued on Monday that Québec should "consider" the possibility of reviving hydraulic fracturing for gas exploration in the St. Lawrence Valley. "I want to analyze this to see if there is something we need to revise, or not," she said on Zone économie on RDI and on À vos affaires on LCN. How could drilling be revived and a social licence be secured for developing this heavy industry in populated areas — while also properly assessing the environmental risks? Fréchette was not available for an interview on the subject on Tuesday. In a written statement to Le Devoir, her communications team noted that Québec currently imports all the natural gas it consumes. "It is timely, in terms of energy sovereignty, to open a dialogue. I therefore want to engage Quebecers in a conversation on this topic," the statement read. "The global context has changed in recent years — notably with the trade tariff war, the war in Ukraine, and, more recently, the conflict in Iran." Fréchette's position was welcomed by the Parti conservateur du Québec and Leader Éric Duhaime. The party advocates for reviving the fossil fuel sector.  Liberal Leader Charles Milliard suggested an openness, but declined to take a firm position. "I don't want to be a politician who gives off-the-cuff yes-or-no answers," he said.  Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was categorical. "The debate is over, in my view — it has been had," he said, citing the risks of the industry.  Québec solidaire echoed that stance, arguing the move would be harmful to both the environment and Québec's economic future.20,000 wells to drill?What would a revival of this industry look like? For now, the law prohibiting fossil fuel exploration in Québec remains in effect and hydraulic fracturing has been banned in the St. Lawrence Valley since 2018. The province's shale gas potential lies between Montréal and Québec City, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The 29 wells drilled primarily between 2008 and 2010 — 18 of which were hydraulically fractured — are all located in that zone. Several experienced significant methane leaks — methane being a particularly potent greenhouse gas — and all were drilled before citizens were consulted, without industry-specific regulatory oversight and before environmental risks had been assessed. Despite claims by shale gas advocates that Québec's subsoil holds significant "reserves," the 29 drilled wells are not sufficient to confirm the existence of commercially viable deposits, according to Natural Resources Canada. Gas exploration would therefore need to be restarted first — a process that could take several years, noted Normand Mousseau, scientific director of the Institut de l'énergie Trottier. The industry has previously argued that if the sector were to advance to commercial development, extraction could require drilling more than 20,000 wells across southern Québec. In addition to the disruptions associated with drilling operations and fears over groundwater contamination raised during earlier environmental assessments, the industry consumes substantial volumes of water. Each well can require more than 10 million litres of water that cannot be treated by municipal systems. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has also highlighted health impacts on populations living near operating sites. Its findings point to effects on pregnancy outcomes, health problems in newborns, the development of asthma and increased rates of cardiovascular disease in adulthood.Climate crisisIn the context of the global energy transition, Mousseau argued that Québec would be better served by "accelerating decarbonization" in order to become less vulnerable to fossil fuel-related crises. "We have a very narrow view of the global context. Crises drive the desire to be less dependent on oil and gas. By launching into gas exploration, Québec would miss opportunities to develop more promising economic sectors for the future." Pierre-Olivier Pineau, chair of energy sector management at HEC Montréal, noted that some of the gas consumed in Québec comes from western Canada, transported through a pipeline network that could in principle carry exclusively Canadian gas — gas that is increasingly extracted by hydraulic fracturing. In that context, Pineau said that "producing gas here would not necessarily be a bad thing for decarbonization and climate objectives. It would, however, need to be done within a framework of reduced energy consumption and with robust regulation of producers." Alice-Anne Simard, executive director of Nature Québec, said the idea of reviving the sector made no sense in the context of the climate crisis. "Does Fréchette need to be reminded that natural gas is not a transition energy? It is methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and its extraction by hydraulic fracturing always carries major impacts on water, air and local communities." — With files from Marie-Michèle Sioui and François Carabin March 19th 2026 Alexandre Shields — Le Devoir Keep reading Canadian white supremacists paid Nigel Farage for video-trolling Hamilton's mayor ByMarc Fawcett-Atkinson News March 18th 2026 4 min read Ford calls on provinces to drop 'uncompetitive' EV sales mandates ByCloe Logan News March 18th 2026 4 min read Indigenous Power Coalition backs First Nations lead role in grid plan ByDarren Schuettler News Energy March 18th 2026 3 min read Share this article Share on Bluesky Share on LinkedIn Comments Subscribe to join the conversation. Already a subscriber? Log in. Post a comment You need an active subscription to post a comment. Subscribe to join the conversation.