Helen Robertson, LONDON: The remote location of Morocco’s oil-shale deposits and its tax regime make it an “ideal” place to develop the unconventional resource, says San Leon Energy. London-listed San Leon is developing an in situ oil-shale project at Tarfaya, in south western Morocco, near the border with Western Sahara.
John Buggenhagen, San Leon’s vice-president of exploration, said the remote location of Morocco’s unconventional-oil deposits means environmental concerns that have dogged unconventional development elsewhere in the world will be avoided. “The environmental issues in places such as Colorado,” said Buggenhagen, “are not an issue in Morocco.”
Environmental constraints are a significant issue for players in the US. Colorado’s most prospective area – the Piceance basin – lies close to a number of...