EU – Impact of Unconventional Gas

Speaking at the Global Unconventional Gas conference in Amsterdam, Jan Panek, head of the European Commission’s unit for coal and oil said that more study is needed on the environmental impact of unconventional gas projects to ensure their success in Europe.

Mr. Panek stated that a clear understanding about issues such as the use of chemicals and their effect on water sources, will help ensure public acceptance for new projects.

"We need to be much better informed about the environmental impact," said Panek. "Not only because we have much stricter environmental policies in the EU but also because the environmental impact is the key element for public support."

Drilling could be an issue in densely populated Europe, as unconventional gas flows less freely than gas from traditional reservoirs and wells must be drilled closer together to exploit reserves,.

Environmentalists have highlighted concerns that the mix of water and chemicals in drilling techniques can contaminate water.

"We see limitations in terms of the environmental footprint and the infrastructure requirements such as the number of wells we have to build and the technologies that make it a bit challenging in Europe," said Panek.

"It's difficult to find the acreage to drill the number of wells you need."

Panek said the EU was also assessing whether shale gas was the best option to focus on, or whether coal bed methane might hold more benefits, such as its high presence across the border in countries such as Ukraine and Russia.

Europe's unconventional gas resources are currently estimated at about 35 trillion cubic metres, of which roughly 45 percent is shale, 22 percent is coal bed methane and 33 percent is tight gas.

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