Chevron Extends Shale Operations in Romania

US energy major Chevron says it is ready to start shale gas mining in another region of Romania.

Permits have been issued for work in several blocks in the Constanta municipality in the south of the country. 

The area is near the border with Bulgaria, by the village of Vama-Veche, the Bulgarian newsagency Novinite notes. Bulgaria has a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

Opposition to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has been strong amongst some groups in Romania, after Prime Minister Victor Ponta did a U-turn on a previous anti-shale mining stance.

Chevron will conduct a two-dimensional geophysical study near the Black Sea and plans to drill exploratory shale wells further north in Vaslui county, a spokeswoman said. No specific date for starting work was given. "The exploration phase has a multi-year timeframe. The results of the exploration stage will determine, in cooperation with the Romanian government, the commencement of any potential exploitation activities," the Chevron statement said. 

 The Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Rovana Plumb, recently allowed permits for the exploration for shale gas in the Dobrogea region.

"To reach exploitation we need to see if we have this resource and where we have it," Plumb was quoted as saying. "From the point of view of the environment ministry there is no environmental risk in terms of exploration as the hydraulic fracturing technology is not being used."

 Chevron has rights to explore for shale in three blocks of 670,000 acres (270,000 hectares) near the Black Sea, and has also bought the concession in Vaslui for an undisclosed amount. 

Its Romanian subsidiary also owns and operates the Barlad Shale concession, a 6,350-sq-km license in northeast Romania. Drilling of an exploration well is due to begin in the second half of this year.