Romania: Granting of Permits for Shale Gas Exploration Stirs Media Reactions
“The state has sold Vama Veche! Chevron has the green light to explore shale gas”
The granting of environment permits for shale gas exploration by Romania’s Environment Ministry has brought the issue to the forefront of regional and national newspapers.
Last week, Romanian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Rovana Plumb, announced that permits have been issued for the exploration for shale gas in the Dobrogea region.
In a lead article, jurnalul.ro reported: “Rovana Plumb seem to remember that she was in charge of Miraj cosmetics factory and tries to “aromatize” a deal that does not smell right. Let’s not delude ourselves, would Chevron spend money on exploration if they were not sure that the exploitation will be approved?!”
Other articles carry a similar tone of outrage:
In the article “Sick goat of the Romanian shale gas” in financiarul.ro, Danut Dudu considers that: “The thing that all those who are actively involved in the campaign for good will gas (similar up to identity to the one regarding Rosia Montana) is to listen to the opinion of the experts in the field. Or, at least, to have the curiosity to search the Internet and to see the photographs of the lunar landscapes built with the “selfless” support of the oil companies.”
“This hydraulic fracking method produces, in the long run, seismic areas where they never existed. The company did no clarify what are the gas loses because there are significant gas leaks that poison the soil and thus poison the grass, animals”, says the president of the Group for Journalism, Culture and Communication, Valentin Coman, to realitatea.net.
In replicaonline.ro, President of the National Council of the Romanian Environmentalist Party, Dumitru Badragan commented: “The contradictory messages of the government lead to the idea that the politicians are not interested in the environment and health, nature rights and it is necessary to organize a County referendum, preceded by a effective and real information of the civil society and opinion leaders.”
“Here are the secret documents from Chevron! (facsimile)” in Vremea Noua, Cezara Mironica states: “Exclusive; Vremea Noua presents the documents filed by Chevron with Environment Protection Agency Vaslui in order to obtain the permit to start drilling in Bacesti, Pungesti and Gagesti. These documents should have been available for the public for a period of 15 days in order to be studied and to be made observations. But, through a maneuver, the term was reduced to only several hours.”
Aura Craciun in a column titled “What is hidden behind the ever growing interest in shale gas” in incomemagazine.ro says: “One of the most controversial subjects in these past years comes back in public attention. Yet not as expected, by an ample debate and studies that could clarify the public opinion, but by a government decision.”
Local authorities have repeatedly complained about their lack of input in the shale gas debate. Marius Dumitru, Deputy Mayor of Limanu, decried “… no bossy, tie wearing gentleman from Chevron came to explain that the procedure does not contaminate the underground water. I live in this village, so do my children, and I want to drink clean water.”
Environmental groups are seeking legal remedies against the permissions allowing Chevron to proceed with shale gas exploration in Dobrogea, with the Save Vama Veche group joining with the Mayor of Vama Veche in the lawsuit against the Government.
“We have already talked with the Mayor's lawyer and we will be part of the suit. At the next hearing in court we will request to become an active part in the suit” said Mircea Toma, President of Save Vama Veche.
The activities to be undertaken by Chevron are initially limited to standard, conventional exploration techniques. In an official statement, the multinational stated:
"Based on the decisions by Constanta EPA and Vaslui EPA, Chevron Romania Exploration and Production will undertake only exploration activities, involving the exclusive use of conventional technologies. In Constanta, Chevron will conduct a 2D geophysical study. The exploration programs will avoid protected areas and will ensure a distance of at least 1 kilometre from the Black Sea coast. In Vaslui county Chevron plans to drill exploratory wells similar to other conventional wells already in existence in Romania. In accord with the technical documentation analyzed by EPA Vaslui, the exploration wells will not involve the use of hydraulic fracturing.”
Chevron re-iterated that it had no intention to conduct its activities in sensitive areas such as cities and residential areas, near touristic or cultural attractions and protected areas.
Experts and academics have attempted to interject some balance in the debate.
“The working procedures do not pose a danger for the environment and for the citizens. In the next period we will see if hydraulic fracking will be used in the exploration stage. For now no studies in this field were made in our country,” stated Lavinia Monica Zaharia, Executive Manager of the Environment Protection Agency Constanta for cugetliber.ro.
Professor Doctor Nicolae Anastasiu, correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, commented that the seismic prospection method Chevron plans to undertake during the initial exploration stage has been in use for more than 80 years.
Professor Anastasiu explained the method allows for the identification of deep geological structures, of the bodies carrying liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, of geological bodies that preserve aquifer strata, for identification of underground voids. It is based on recording the answers generated by the surfaces that separate different types of geological bodies, prior having initiated sound waves generated by vibrating plates installed on vehicles that can move from place to place.
The images obtained in 2D – in plane or in 3D-tridimensional are the key to the discovery of areas with oil, gas or aquifer potential. Using this method resulted in discovery almost all known hydrocarbon deposits.
“It is a non-destructive method and without any effect (risk) to the environment. Using it cannot cause, in any way, any kind of earthquake and cannot contaminate the underground water,” declared Anastasiu.
Silviu Molnar