Putin's fracking claims belie russian realities

摘要

Russian president Vladimir Putin sent confusing messages to the country's oil sector this month when he criticised the US for ignoring the negative environmental consequences of shale production — a process he described as “barbaric”. Putin told an investment conference in Moscow that shale technologies destroy the environment and that the regions at the centre of the US production boom are typically in a disastrous condition. “Despite the economic benefts, we do not need [shale development] and we will never go for it,” he said. Russian frms have plenty of other upstream opportunities to pursue at home, Putin said.