BBC News, 8
May 2013
Related
Stories
 |
Fracking
for shale gas is a relatively
new industry
|
Talisman
Energy of Canada and the US oil company Marathon said they were pulling out of
what is seen as potentially one of the largest sources of shale gas in Europe.
Marathon
said it decision was based on "unsuccessful attempts to find commercial
levels of hydrocarbons".
Poland had
hoped the shale gas deposits would replace imports from Russia.
The
departure of the two companies represents a major blow to the country's
ambitions.
"Poland's
shale gas exists only in the media, because in reality nothing happens,"
said Grzegorz Pytel, energy expert at Sobieski Institute, a Polish think tank.
Talisman
said it was selling its Polish operations to the Irish group San Leon Energy.
Oisin
Fanning, executive chairman at San Leon Energy said: "There is still
significant and continued industry interest in the Baltic Basin shale gas play,
and we expect the results of our fracking programme to attract further interest
from potential farm-in partners."
Disappointing
results
Of the
world's major energy companies, Chevron of the United States and Italy's ENI
are still active in Poland's shale gas sector. The US giant Exxon pulled out
last year, after disappointing drilling results.
More than
100 shale gas exploration licences have been issued by the government in Warsaw
and over 40 test wells have been drilled. But few expect any to start producing
gas before 2015 at the earliest.
Excitement
over the potential for a Polish shale gas fracking bonanza reached its height
two years ago, on the back of a report by the US Energy Information
Administration which estimated reserves at 5.3 trillion cubic metres, enough to
cover domestic demand for 300 years.
Cold water
was poured on that last year, by the Polish government itself. The original
estimate was slashed by almost 90% last year, to a figure that would still be
enough to supply Poland with gas for decades, rather than centuries.
Politics
over business
The
reluctance of firms like Talisman and Marathon has placed a question mark over
the commercial viability of the estimated reserves.
Because of
this, the biggest holders of shale gas concession in Poland are companies
controlled by the state, notably the energy group PGNIG.
Because the
government is so enthusiastic about shale gas fracking and the potential
freedom from Russian imports that it might bring, some of the state-controlled
companies involved in the sector are not traditionally associated with energy
exploration, including the oil refiner PKN Orlen and the copper miner KGHM.
This has
prompted concerns from some minority shareholders in these companies that the
government is placing political desire ahead of business knowledge.
 |
| Opponents to fracking claim it can cause much environmental damage |
Fracking,
which is basically fracturing layers of rock far below the earth's surface in
an effort to to get the gas and oil locked up in them, has attracted much
controversy in recent years.
Proponents
claim the industry could unlock vast new amounts of previously inaccessible
reserves. Opponents say the environmental impacts, such as the contamination of
ground water, are potentially devastating.
So far,
local reaction in Poland has been subdued to the infant shale gas industry. But
international environmental groups are building up their presence in the
country and have started to take a close look at the fracking that's already
going on.
“… 4 - Energy (again)
Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”
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"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)
“… 4 - Energy (again)
The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!
Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”
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