Poland fears European-wide shale gas extraction ban

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It is estimated that Poland is sitting on 5.3 trillion cubic metres of shale gas, which if extracted successfully could greatly lesson its reliance on Russian gas and oil. But the move in the French parliament on Wednesday, and any similar ban on fracking - currently the main method of extracting shale gas - could threaten Poland’s energy security and independence, says state gas company PGNiG’s Marek Karabula.

Will Brussels end Poland's shale gas dream?

Source: Warsaw Business Journal A ban by the French gov't on hydraulic fracturing has raised worries that the EU could follow suit. Poland's shale gas reserves are estimated at 5.3 trillion square meters and could make the country independent from Russian gas for hundreds of years. Gas monopolist PGNiG is even ready to spend zł.100 million on shale gas exploration this year. However, French deputies' Wednesday decision to ban hydraulic fracturing, a key method used in shale gas extraction, has raised fears that the European Union may create regulations that will put an end on Poland's shale gas dreams.

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