Shale Gas Drillers Must Tread Carefully in Europe

A Different Footprint

Production of shale gas will require a completely different approach compared with that employed in North America, meaning the industry will have to watch where it steps due to Europe’s relatively higher population density.

That was on topic that experts grappled with at Shale Gas Results in Europe 2011 in Warsaw, Poland.

Fivos Spathopoulos, Shale Gas Exploration Geologist at Imperial College in London, and Witold Domek, Vice President at CDM Poland contributed to a session entitled Examining a Case Study on How Operators Can Overcome the Environmental Issues Unique to Highly Populous Europe.

Speaking about New (surfactant) solutions for old problems – “green”solvents for production waters, Mr. Spathopoulos offered an interstellar solution. He reported that a surfactant was already being used that he claimed could clean any polluted water.

In connection with the European Space Agency’s ExoMars project, which will launch in 2018 to determine whether or not there was life on Mars, he explained research was being done on a solvent to dissolve organic material. The solution, according to him was called “Polysorbate 80.”

“It can be used to clean any contaminated water,” he explained. “Water can be fully recycled. It’s very fast and can almost be reused immediately.

“You put the material into the polluted water, molecules are contained in the first phase and you remove the skin from the top and the clean water is below. It’s already used in ice creams as an emulsifying agent.”

No new equipment is needed, he noted, adding that it was inexpensive. “The disposal costs are virtually zero. It can be used in oil sands, too.”

According to his presentation, the surfactant promised to ease water demand for the industry. Furthermore, “Rapid water recycling reduces opportunities for contaminated water escape to the environment.”

Spathopoulos noted the skepticism that emerged from technologies that came from the New World.

“There’s a general feeling that where the Americans come into Europe, be careful, because they are bad,” he explained.

He proposed emphasizing the potential jobs at stake: “Make sure you understand what those jobs mean in Europe.”

Witold Domek, Vice President of CDM Poland gave a little introduction to the global company, which was founded in 1947, had over $1 billion in revenues, and 5,700 staff worldwide, with locations in Poland and Germany.

He said that CDM was a leader in environmental analysis, assessment activities and design and that the company’s global O&G experience included environmental planning/permitting for companies like ExxonMobil and PKN Orlen, wastewater, and E&P fields.

Of Poland’s shale gas concessions Domek explained: “99% are under the old environmental law under which no environment impact assessment happened.”

He spoke of the basic legal acts in effect. “The Geological and Mining Law, Environment Protection Act and Construction Law covers shale gas activity.”

Domek offered a concession sequence for prospecting and exploration, including initial assessment of the Natura 2000 area, decision on environmental conditions, application for concession and for prospecting end explore, and local authority opinion, among others.

According to him, Poland and Germany must conform with European Law.

He then spoke about when an Environmental Impact Assessment is required. “Group I projects always have a significant impact,” he said. “Group II projects may have a potentially significant impact on the environment.”

Under the first, he said extraction was greater than 500,000 cubic meters per day of natural gas.

CDM, he said, wanted to use best practices from US shale basins to adapt them to European shale gas development. “We understand how much water is necessary to make underground stimulation. We have the proper tools to re use flowback versus production water

He continued, “No one has pointed out that road traffic will be terrible for local societies, creating a lot of pollution and noise. In Europe this noise will be one important factor for populations.

“You also have other environmentally sensitive areas,” he noted, explaining, “from cultural points of view, important places.”

He said that local companies, service companies were very useful because they knew local conditions better than people from the outside.

In terms of environmental considerations, spatial development plans, he said, included availability of infrastructure. Domek added: “I hope the government will take care of this point as well.”

“We are also checking if it is an environmentally sensitive area,” he said regarding identification and analysis of land concessions.

Accessibility of the power infrastructure was also important, he contended, as well as road infrastructure.

He mentioned Poland’s newly proposed (at the end of April of this year) Geological and Mining Law, and touched upon communication with stakeholders.

“I’ve been working in this area for more than 30 years,” said Mr. Domek. “Always local people say ‘not in my backyard’. Education at all levels is extremely important. You must always inform local people many times about the progress and include presentation of the benefits of shale gas production to the community and the region.”

He concluded by saying that he believed the infrastructure to get the job done would eventually be available in Poland.