The WSJ has an interesting article on the shale potential in France. "One option that has been fiercely debated is shale gas, whose emergence in the U.S. has helped the country reduce its dependence on imported energy and eased prices while providing a fuel that burns cleaner than oil or coal. France has abundant shale, with the most promising drilling area covering 10,000 square kilometers in the southeast, and technological advances are making it possible to extract deposits trapped deep in the rock."
(Note: May require a subscription.)