Afek Oil: Drilling is occurring without environmental damage, according to requirements.
Arguing that oil works on the Golan Heights may harm the public interest and pose a threat to environmental and water resources, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel filed its objections on Tuesday to a recent drilling permit extension.
In early November, the Northern District Committee granted initial approval for a two-year extension on the Afek Oil and Gas company’s exploratory drilling permit, through which the firm is able to explore for conventional oil at up to 10 sites in a 39,500-hectare (97,606-acre) zone south of Katzrin. Following the committee’s November approval to lengthen the existing one-year permit by two more years, members of the public had 60 days to file their objections.
Although the company received a threeyear drilling license from the National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Ministry for its project in April 2013, the necessary permit issued by the Northern District Committee in July 2014 only covered a one-year period, which began in February 2015.
In its objections document, SPNI demanded that both the exploratory drilling extension, as well as the company’s accompanying production tests, be rejected until further environmental examinations have taken place. Deciding on such a matter, the organization argued, requires striking a balance between the country’s desire to find oil and its duty to protect public resources.