Exploration will be resumed once the safety of Chevron’s employees, the community and constructors is ensured, Holst told Prime Minister Victor Ponta, who is on an official visit to the United States.
Chevron has delayed plans to drill for shale gas at its field in Silistea locality, in the eastern commune of Pungesti (Vaslui county) in response to protests against hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a controversial process used to extract gas and oil from shale deposits.
“Our priority is to conduct activities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner consistent with the permits under which we operate,” Chevron said in a statement last week.
Chevron has permits to explore for shale gas in three localities in Vaslui county. In early October, the company has received authorization to drill its first well in Silistea. Works were supposed to start Wednesday, but the protesters prevented Chevron bulldozer and excavators from accessing the site.