Wintershall Looking at Shale Gas in North Rhine-Westphalia

BASF subsidiary Wintershall is currently examining test drilling for shale gas, including near the environs of the city of Krefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Half of the city falls in part of the license area of ​​3,900 square kilometers, granted to Wintershall by the District Government of Arnsberg.

Wintershall has been authorized for test drilling to make investigations in the gas content of the rocks at greater depths.

"We are currently looking for up to five places where it (drilling) may make sense," commented a Wintershall spokesman to the Rheinische Post. Drilling may commence this summer.

Volker Wrede from the Geological Survey of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) believes that the opportunity for shale gas in Krefeld to be low.

Wintershall is currently focused on the eastern part of its of approved area, around Arnsberg, which is thought to be more prospective for shale gas.

However, it is not excluding drilling near to Krefeld at a later stage.

Source: RP-Online