FriedlNews: Romania to Enhance Shale Gas Production

Earlier this month, US enterprise Chevron was granted the rights for the exploration of shale gas in three perimeters on the coast of the Black Sea by the Romanian Environment Ministry, which does not see any environmental risks at this point. Environment Minister Rovana Plumb announced that the exloration process will take five years at the minimum before any assessments for deposits of shale gas can be made. “As long as Romanian shale gas is not explored through hydraulic fracturing (fracking), it doesn’t raise any risk for the environmental protection,” said Plumb.

The government pursues to reduce its dependence on expensive energy imports, the Energy Minister announced on Thursday last week. "The mineral resources agency will launch tenders for shale exploration in the near term. New perimeters are set to be tendered soonish, but it is up to them (to set) the exact timing," Energy Minister Constantin Nita said. "It's normal that we would like to see more and more investors and companies joining the search for energy resources," he added.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that Romania and its neighbours Bulgaria and Hungary could among them have 538bn cubic metres of gas, which would be enough to cover Romania's consumption for almost 40 years. The authority will carry out a study near the Black Sea and make exploratory well drillings further north, in Vaslui county.  MORE