Perspectives of shale gas mining in Poland
ORLEN Upstream discusses perspectives of shale gas mining in Poland at the Global Shale Gas Summit 2010 conference in Warszawa.
Wiesław Prugar, President of the ORLEN Upstream Management Board, presented the most important assumptions of PKN ORLEN’s mining plans for the near future during the Global Shale Gas Summit 2010 conference held on 19-20 July in Warszawa.
- Development of the upstream segment represents a key element of the long-term strategy of PKN ORLEN. At present we are focusing on the evaluation of the potential of all exploration and mining projects with particular attention to the mining of shale gas resources. We are also involved in geological research, the assessment of mining conditions as well as on the selection of an investment partner who would ensure access to the necessary technology and share the risk involved in this sort of ventures - explained Wiesław Prugar.
PKN ORLEN holds five exploration licenses for the Lublin area totaling 4,728 square kilometers in surface of which the area with the highest potential in shale gas measures 1,200 square kilometers. The second stage of intense research and geological work is currently nearing the end and should enable an assessment of the deposit potential and the impact of shale gas mining on the environment.
Reports from the aforementioned work is available in the enclosed video file and at http://www.orlen.pl/PL/CentrumPrasowe/Wideokonferencje/Strony/default.aspx.
Low urban development of the area (below 5%) as well as favorable environmental conditions on the licensed area provide a good starting point for successive investment decisions in this region. “We are planning the first bore in the Lublin region for next year. We expect that it will confirm shale gas deposits in amounts enabling its mining on an industrial scale”, declared Wiesław Prugar.
ORLEN Upstream is a company belonging to the ORLEN Capital Group which conducts exploratory and mining investments. The company is implementing investments on the Baltic Sea shelf (Latvia) in cooperation with the Kuwait Energy Company on the basis of two licenses. Two bores are planned for next year in the scope of that cooperation. ORLEN Upstream is also planning two successive bores in the area of Sieraków within the scope of a mining project jointly conducted by PKN ORLEN and PGNiG. Experts of both companies estimate that the commercial mining of these deposits may begin in 2016.
