Shale Gas a National Priority, says Polish Treasury Minister

Shale gas in Poland is a matter of national interest, according to the country's newly appointed Treasury Minister, Wlodzimierz Karpinski, in an interview with Bloomberg.

Karpinski reassured investors that shale gas would remain a top priority.

"The pressure on companies to invest in this area will certainly not be smaller, it could even be bigger, because this is a matter of national interest," said Karpinski.

Last week, the UK-based explorer San Leon Energy reported a successful stimulation test on the Czaslaw-1 well in the Nowa Sol Licence.

In May Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski said Poland would not collect taxes on the production of shale gas until 2020.

This brings renewed enthusiasm on Polish shale gas after Exxon Mobil, Talisman Energy and Marathon Oil scaled back their investments in local shale gas operations.

Related Reading: Marathon Departure Another Setback to Polish Shale Gas Industry