Total to do test drilling for shale gas

Oslo - Total plans to drill Denmark's first test wells for shale gas in December or January, the French energy firm said on Friday, following its deals to explore for unconventional hydrocarbons in Britain and Russia.

Faced with France's ban on exploring for shale gas at home, Total is emerging as one of the most active oil and gas majors betting on a US-style shale boom in Europe.

Total said it planned to conduct test drilling in Denmark for three months.

"If the results are positive, a test using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will be carried out in 2015," said a spokesperson for the firm.

Oil reserves

Total holds 80% of the licence and Denmark's state-owned North Sea Fund the other 20%.

The French firm struck a deal this year to explore for shale gas in Britain, buying two licences in northern England.

It also struck a deal with Russia's no 2 oil producer Lukoil last May to tap "tight" oil reserves in the Bazhenov play in Siberia, one of the world's largest shale oil formations.

Total is also investing in research and development in the search for alternatives to fracking, such as exploration using pyrolysis.