Poland Needs to Press Ahead with Shales

The U.S. Embassy and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly hosted their second shale gas conference at the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw on Wednesday.

‘Shale Gas:  Managing Europe’s Emerging Resource,’ focused on the potential of shale gas development in Poland and its impact on regional energy security with the aim to examine the strategic and practical issues of concern to governments, private sector, and local communities.

A recent U.S. Energy Information Administration report, estimated Poland’s recoverable shale gas resources at 5.3 trillion cubic meters (TCM), the largest of any European state studied and equal to over 300 years of Poland's annual gas consumption.

U.S. Ambassador Lee Feinstein said developing shale gas industry would translate to energy security for Poland, as it did for the U.S.

“Exploration of our own resources is our chance and our obligation,” said Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski.  He continued that shale gas exploration was a great chance to limit Poland and Europe’s dependence on imports.

Poland is proceeding with shale gas development despite environmental concerns that led the French lower house to approve a ban on the process of hydraulic fracturing.

Experts agreed that educating the Polish public about how the government intends to manage environmental risks would be important in the development of the shale gas project.

"Let's not be afraid, let's just do our own thing.  We just have to keep explaining to environmentalists and local people what it's about. From what I know, the technology keeps improving," commented Sikorski.

When asked about the origins of the negative statements on shale gas, Sikorski responded: "You try to guess."

Also in attendance was the Bulgarian Minister of economy, energy and tourism Traicho Traikov,, who stressed on the importance of shale gas for the energy security and supply diversity in Europe.

The study and extraction of shale gas is an option for alternative gas supplies in Bulgaria and the Ministry of economy, energy and tourism is currently working actively to develop it. (Read More HERE)