Talisman Shares its Shale Experiences
New arrivals
Canada’s Talisman Energy Inc. arrived in Poland just a half year ago
While there were representatives of shale gas prospectors in Poland who had been in the country for over two years appearing at Shale Gas World 2010 in Warsaw, Poland, Talisman Energy Inc. was a relative newcomer.
Talisman, in partnership with San Leon Energy plc., plans to drill its first three wells in Poland in mid-2011.
Tomasz Maj, the General Manager of Talisman Energy Polska Sp. z o.o. gave conference participants a quick appraisal of how he saw shale gas developing, both in Poland and the rest of Europe.
“Talisman’s been here for 6 months,” he reported, “on the second wave that came to Poland. Much of the acreage was taken by fleeter footed companies.”
Mr. Maj said that Talisman was a major shale gas producer in the US and Canada.
“Where’s the market?” he asked. “Poland was an obvious answer. But the perspective has broadened, to India, to China. Within the EU, Poland is considered best option,” said Maj.
But, according to him, among the hurdles for shale gas in Europe was the need to find some gas. “We don’t know how we’re going to get there.”
Maj noted some of the gushing enthusiasm from the press in Poland, which has written that the country’s shale basins contain “300 years of gas,” a claim which he said could likely be an overstatement.
Still, he admitted, “The great thickness is there, and the basin is extensive compared with North America. The data is extremely sparse, leaving open the questions of how much gas is there, and where the sweet spots are. Maybe we’ll have a better idea in a year or two.”
He stated that presently Poland was reliant on coal, one third of which was lignite. Gas demand in Poland in the coming decades looks to grow significantly.
“There’s a lot being said about shale gas in Poland at the moment, there are political overtones, because of the promise of energy independence that shale gas development entails,” explained Maj. The political overtones are immense and probably overblown at the moment.”
Access to infrastructure pipelines would be a concern for Poland if it were to become a successful shale gas producer, and that, coupled with lack of regulation, said Maj, meant most countries were completely unprepared for shale gas.
“There’s a misconception regarding the timelines: It could take 15-20 years to develop that 300 years of gas, but I would be seen the door if I tell my boss it’s coming in 15 years. Extremely rapid development is necessary. Governments in Europe need to start getting ready now with the legislation and the investment.”
“That message,” said Maj, “is typically met with a very warm and understanding response.”
Learn More about Talisman in Poland HERE and Talisman and San Leon HERE
Red San Leon Expands Footprint HERE