US energy giant Chevron will
start its exploratory drillings for shale gas in Bulgaria in 2015 if the
country does not have moratorium in place abolishing shale gas exploration
on its territory by then.
Chevron's
working program foresees carrying out two exploratory drillings in 2015 and two
more in 2016, Delyan Dobrev, Bulgaria's Deputy Energy and Economy Minister,
has told the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. Until then, the company will only
carry out seismic research in the country, Dobrev has explained after meeting
its representatives.
The Chevron representatives have also announced
that the company is launching information campaigns in the regions and
municipalities where the potential shale gas exploration is to take
place.
Last Friday, Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and
Tourism, Traicho Traikov, revealed that the contract with US energy giant Chevron for shale
gas exploration and production in Bulgaria, which is still being
negotiated, will not be made fully public because there is an element of a
trade secret.
He gave assurances, however that talks were underway with
the company for making a substantial part of the agreement available to the
public.
The document would also provide for unlimited liability in
the case of environmental damage and the obligation to cover 100% of the cost
of eliminating it.
The issue of shale gas drilling in Bulgaria
on concession by Chevron Corp escalated in the past few weeks, with environmentalists staging
several protests and voicing concerns that two shale gas wells were
being prepared for a launch.
The environmentalists are concerned that the
potential shale gas exploration using hydraulic fracturing in Northeastern
Bulgaria may cause irreversible damage to its nature.