Report throws doubt on Polish shale gas potential

摘要

Expectations of a European shale gas revolution could be premature given that Poland, Europe's best hope for developing unconventional gas production, faces a number of geological, regulatory and cost impediments, a study has found. While Poland has up to three wells set to be drilled in 2010 to test its unconventional production potential, inhospitable geological formations are narrowing the area of exploration, owing to potentially prohibitive drilling costs, according to a report from Bernstein Research. At the same time, two wells drilled during the second quarter are expected to cost $10 million each, making shale exploration comparatively more expensive than in the US.