They announced they intended to launch development operations in the second half of the year, after obtaining the necessary permits. Chevron Romania country manager Thomas Holst has said shale gas is a major opportunity, and has mentioned energy security, investments and jobs as some of the arguments in its favour. Shale gas development has been criticized by experts because it requires hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which can trigger the contamination of groundwater and increases the risk of earthquakes. Over 5,000 people protested in Barlad on Thursday, asking for a halt to the shale gas project in Vaslui County, and emphasizing that the development method posed dangers for both the environment and the locals.

The method the American company plans to use in Romania is actually prohibited in countries like France and Bulgaria. Sofia cancelled Chevron’s drilling permit on grounds that the company provided insufficient environmental protection guarantees. Moreover, the Bulgarian government is working on a bill to completely ban such extraction methods. Romania, on the other hand, is counting on shale gas to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. According to experts, that resource may reduce imports of Russian natural gas by 10%. The President of Romania, Traian Basescu, has recently spoken about the economic potential of developing that type of unconventional gas.

The head of the National Agency for Mineral Resources, Alexandru Patruti, has explained that shale gas may add, in the future, to Romania’s natural gas reserves, which cover domestic consumption for the next 15 years. He admits however that the extraction method goes against environment regulations. The American company has promised to comply with the relevant Romanian and European legislation, although at present Romania does not have special regulations concerning the development of shale gas.