Kyiv Post: Legal battle looms over shale gas development
What red cloth is for a Spanish bull, shale gas projects are for some of Ukraine’s politicians and lawmakers.
The prospect of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) for natural gas in shale and sandstone deep underground – has triggered a frenzy of legal activity including a lawsuit, a suggestion for a moratorium on alternative hydrocarbons and a proposed parliamentary hearing.
Moreover, the rules and laws needed by the industry to operate have often been slow in coming, slowing down the industry’s development in the notoriously energy-inefficient country. Nonetheless, most expect opponents will eventually be placated, and legal problems resolved.