Shale Gas to be Issue in Bulgarian Presidential Election
The presidential candidate of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party would initiate a national referendum on shale gas drilling and production in Bulgaria.
“There is no reason that can justify the use of technologies dangerous to people’s health and life. Bulgaria’s energy dependence should not be guaranteed with the use of such technologies, which are a threat to environment and citizens", said Ivaylo Kalfin.
"It should be guaranteed by building the gas pipelines planned to cross Bulgaria, South Stream and Nabucco and interconnections with neighboring countries which are financed under EU programs,” said Kalfin, as reported by FOCUS News Agency.
A former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, Kalfin, together with independent Meglena Kuneva and the candidate of the ruling party (to be announced on September 4th), will likely be the front runners in the presidential contest which will be held on October 23rd.
Chevron Corp., recently won a tender for a shale gas deposit in northeastern Bulgaria, offering the government a 30-million-euro to explore a concession near Novi Pazar.
Bulgarian Economy, Energy, and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov had commented that, according to the estimates provided by bidders, the deposit contains between 300 billion and 1 trillion cubic meters of shale gas.
In Traikov's words, Bulgaria's shale gas deposits should be able to guarantee its domestic consumption of natural gas for the next 1000 years.