
Practical information
As part of the Ifri Energy Breakfast Roundtable, a seminar Philippe Marcus, Deputy Vice President, GDF Suez E&P, Dr Simon Mathias, Lecturer of Geoscience in the Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University (UK) et Dr Isabelle Moretti, Project Leader Unconventional Gas, IFP New Energy (ex Institut français du Pétrole). Chaired by William C. Ramsay, Senior Fellow and Director of the Ifri Energy Program and Jacques Lesourne, Chairman of the scientific Committee of the Ifri Energy Program.
The breakthrough in gas exploration technologies that occurred in the US a few years ago, has created a revolution in World Gas markets. Spot and wholesale prices have crashed, and so have plans for LNG imports to the US. Europe would also love to be part of this new rush for blue gold, and companies are developing exploration projects in Poland, Sweden, Germany and France. Geopolitically this incremental gas could well reduce anxiety, particularly in Europe over security of supply. Yet development prospects and timing for Europe are not only linked to reserves and wholesale prices, but also to technical and political feasibility. And, this is where environment comes in.
There are still-unanswered environmental questions associated with the development of unconventional gas: it requires a huge amount of water and chemicals to release the gas from shale which has raised questions about the safety of ground water and aquifers. Considerable work is ongoing in the US on environment questions which can inform European policy makers who will confront the same questions.
This conference will provide insights into exploration technologies, environmental consequences and Europe's specific legislative context.
Other events

U.S. Politics: Why Are Democrats Unable to Come Up with a Project?
As President Trump's approval rating stagnates in the polls and with 18 months remaining before the November 2026 midterm elections, why is the Democratic Party unable to offer a credible and compelling alternative to middle-class American voters? On what issues and around which figures could the radical left and the moderate left find common ground by then?

Russia, Iran, China, North Korea: The Nuclear Dimension of the Axis of Upheaval
In an international context marked by the resurgence of power rivalries, cooperation between Iran, China, Russia and North Korea is attracting increasing attention.

The Resurgence of Risk in Turkey
Turkey has entered a new phase of turbulence. The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025, triggered a broad protest movement, which the main opposition party, the CHP, is attempting to organize. In parallel, the government continues its peace process with the PKK — a development that could profoundly reshape the country’s political landscape.