Europe’s Shale Boom Lies in Sahara as Algeria Woos Exxon: Energy

Europe’s answer to the U.S. shale boom may lie beneath the Sahara desert.

While environmental regulation and disappointing drilling tests have held back the development of shale gas reserves in Europe, Algeria is using tax breaks to encourage exploration. Pipelines under the Mediterranean to Spain and Italy already link Africa’s largest gas exporter into Europe’s grid.