Bulgaria Encouraged To Be Hands On in Shale Gas Development
Energy experts believe that Bulgarian Energy Holding and Bulgargaz must get more actively involved in the process of shale gas prospecting and possibly extraction.
Hristo Kazandjiev, Iliyan Vassilev, Ivan Hinovski, Dimiter Ivanov and Prof. Vassil Balinov spoke about the promise that the unconventional gas holds for the country.
According to Vassilev, Bulgaria is not yet sufficiently active, whereas it should be a partner to Chevron and all other companies wishing to prospect for subsurface resources. He argued that if the State shares in a subsequent gas extraction, the resource would reach Bulgarian users at a far lower price than if extracted by a foreign concessionaire.
Kazandjiev said that he is convinced that if shale gas extraction begins, the price of natural gas in the country would fall by 8 to 25 per cent.
Politicians in Poland, which has taken the lead in European shale gas development, have warned of the country losing control of its shale gas fields to those who have “completely different interests."
The experts do not think that shale gas extraction poses a greater environmental risk than the extraction of any other minerals and conventional subsurface resources.
Kazandjiev said that the allegations that shale gas extraction is dangerous were made public by Gazprom because shale gas would compete with the gas supplied from Russia. The allegations that water can be poisoned and that shale gas extraction can cause earthquakes have been disproved, the expert said. Arable land cannot be affected, either, because prospecting is done at a considerable depth, he added.
Prospecting for shale gas will take up to five years, and extraction can start only after that, the experts said.
Source: Bulgarian News Agency
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