ANRM also announced it would carry out an information campaign on shale gas between July and November this year.
According to ANRM, which cites the US Energy Information Administration, or EIA, Romania’s shale gas reserves would be sufficient for 100 years.
Poland comes first with shale gas reserves of 4,190 billion cubic meters and is followed by France (3,879 billion cubic meters), Denmark (906 billion cubic meters), The Netherlands (736 billion cubic meters), Great Britain (736 billion cubic meters), Sweden (283 billion cubic meters), Spain (226 billion cubic meters), Bulgaria (481 billion cubic meters) and Germany (481 cubic meters).
According to estimates from EIA, shale gas exploration is expected to boost Romania’s oil reserves by 50% and its natural gas reserves by more than ten times.
U.S. oil giant Chevron Corp. operates four onshore shale gas concessions in Romania, one in Barlad City and three in the southeastern county of Constanta near the Black Sea.
Shale gas drilling in Romania has sparked protests from environmentalists worried about possible side effects of hydraulic fracturing.
France has the largest recoverable shale oil reserves, namely 4,700 million barrels, and is followed by Poland (3,300 million) and The Netherlands (2,900 million). Great Britain and Germany have recoverable shale oil reserves of 700 million barrels each, and are followed by Bulgaria (200 million) and Spain (100 million).
The United States have the largest shale gas reserves in the world and are followed by China, Argentina, Algeria, Canada and Mexico. As regards shale oil reserves, the USA is followed by Russia, China, Argentina and Libya.