Chevron to Start Exploration for Shale Gas in Romania

Romanian environmental activists take part in a protest against drilling for shale gas using the technique known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking in front in central Bucharest, Romania, April 07, 2014. Photo by EPA/BGNES

US multinational Chevron has announced it will begin in weeks its search for shale gas near the village of Pungesti in Eastern Romania, a day after mass environmental protests.

Drilling for gas will last 90 days, company officials were quoted by BalkanInsight as saying.

Romania's Agerpres reported that the Agency for Environment Protection in Vaslui County, where Pungesti lies, had earlier given go-ahead to Chevron, as well as for three other locations within the country.

Chevron officials were pelted with stones and eggs during an anti-shale gas demonstration on Monday, but vowed to go on with plans for drilling.

Last year mass protests of environmental groups and their supporters across Romania led Chevron to halt the search for shale gas deposits in Pungesti.

Apart from concerns that hydraulic fracking might cause air or water pollution, activists expressed their anger at the Romanian government, which gave Chevron green light to look for shale gas just two years after it had promised not to do so before coming to power.

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