German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has said in an interview the state should examine the feasibility of producing domestic shale gas using fracking, which is presently prohibited in Germany.

Fracking is a technology which shatters shale rock using a mixture of pressurized liquids, made up of water and chemicals, allowing oil and gas to be extracted. Germany has used the technology going back to the 1960’s in natural gas extraction from conventional reserves such as sandstone and carbonate stones. About a third of natural gas production in the state comes from conventional reserves which have been accessed using fracking.

In 2011, the state placed unconventional fracking of shale and coal seams, which utilizes horizontal drilling techniques, under a moratorium. It was then largely banned by the state over fears that it would introduce pollution to water supplies, trigger earthquakes, or cause other adverse environmental consequences.

Lindner said, “We have significant gas deposits in Germany that can be extracted without endangering drinking water. It would be rather irresponsible to refrain from fracking because of ideological commitments.”

He noted that “at several” fields it would be possible for Germany to generate sufficient production to meet large demands using only its own sources, which would be of immense benefit given the energy situation around the world now.

The biggest issue in the European energy markets at present is the withdrawal in Russian supplies of natural gas. After first restricting flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to technical issues, flows were ultimately ceased completely, before both Nord Stream 1 and the Nord Stream 2 pipelines were damaged in apparent acts of sabotage. On top of that Europe has placed Moscow under a raft of sanctions due to the conflict in Ukraine, targeting its oil and gas industries, further tightening European markets and driving gas prices to record highs.

German Vice-Chancellor and Energy Minister Robert Habeck had previously ruled out the possibility if using fracking to extract shale gas in April, citing environmental concerns. In addition, he said it would be years before potential projects had jumped through the regulatory hoops necessary to begin production.