Although Poland, a country with significant potential, was said to have started drilling, it is actually in the exploration phase, with 39 wells drilled so far, according to Chevron.
Chevron also said that in case shale gas production begins, the gas will be sold in Romania and not exported. The company has exploration and commercial drilling rights for three blocks by the sea and one in Vaslui, called EV2-Barlad (eastern Romania).
Chevron still needs two more permits for the latter to start exploration drilling, which requires using traditional methods instead of the controversial hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
“The start of the works depends on how fast the authorities move. We cannot start without two permits: the environmental and the water permits. These are the two major permits we need,” said Thomas Holst, country manager of Chevron Romania Exploration and Production.
Exploration drilling will be done using conventional methods like those Romania has been using over its more than 150 years of oil and natural gas drilling, Holst said.
The time to start is now, as exploration takes five years to complete to see if there is any shale gas to be commercially drilled, and Romania has about ten years’ worth of gas left for its consumption needs, according to official estimates, and is currently importing 20% of what it uses, Holst added.
Shale gas is regular gas trapped in shale rock and more difficult to drill for. Releasing the shale gas requires horizontal drilling and fracking. Fracking means injecting fluids to create fractures in the rocks thus allowing gas to flow out.
In the block near Barlad the process would require injecting one Olympic swimming poolful of water and sand and chemicals as far as four kilometers deep to crack the rock and release the gas. This solution then flows out to the surface and is deposited over an area as large as two soccer fields put together and then treated.
According to Chevron, this operation will not have a negative impact on the environment and people would still be able to use the land and even grow crops on it.
International media and documentaries on the subject say that shale gas drilling is not completely safe and may contaminate ground water, create health problems or trigger earthquakes.
Holst said that even so he would be happy to have a well drilled near his home, despite that 8,000 people took to the streets of Barlad and protested against shale gas at the end of last month, mostly because of the controversial fracking.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)