/ world today news/ Russia reasonably doubted that shale gas would replace natural gas, the Bloomberg agency found.
When the company Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. opened its office in Poland in 2009, she had reasons for optimism. But 6 years have passed, and the British company has not even launched its first probe in Poland. Major oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell packed up and moved elsewhere.
Although Europe sought to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, the shale revolution did not take place there. Difficult geological conditions, fierce opposition from environmentalists, burdensome regulation and the bloody war in Ukraine combined to dampen investors’ enthusiasm and dry up their patience. The drop in oil prices in March to below $50 a barrel was the last straw because the value of a significant portion of European gas, including imports from Russia, is tied to the price of oil.
Obviously, shale gas will always remain an additional and secondary source of energy resources in Europe. According to Philip Hladek, an analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence, ordinary gas remains the cheapest – both the one delivered through pipes from Russia and from other countries. “The technology of fracking as a path to independence turned out to be a dream that was not destined to be realized. I wouldn’t say that the idea of shale gas in Europe is dead, but everything turned out to be much more difficult than we imagined.” /RIA “Novosti”
Washington / USA
#Bloomberg #place #shale #gas #Europe
