He said shale gas could be a factor in many markets of the world. “I don’t see it as a threat, but as an opportunity for other players,” Stab said.
GDF Suez representative also said the company is following shale gas developments in Romania.
In March 2012, Romania approved a series of gas exploration deals signed with Chevron, which allow the latter to drill for shale gas at three blocks in the Black Sea.
Later in the year, the Ponta Cabinet imposed a moratorium on shale gas exploitation until European Union-commissioned studies to assess possible environmental damage of hydraulic fracturing are finalized. The moratorium will be lifted once the results of the studies are made public and if they show shale gas exploitation poses no environmental risk.
Chevron’s plans to drill for shale gas have sparked protests from environmentalists worried about possible side effects of hydraulic fracturing.
The company recently received urban-planning permits from the Vaslui county council to explore three shale gas blocks in the county.