Polish farmers forced Chevron to stop drilling in their region

In July last year, oil company Chevron abandoned its plans for drilling in Zurawlow, Poland, after farmers from four nearby villages blockaded in advance of the drilling site with tractors and other agricultural machinery for 400 days. This victory is inspiring other poles now and in the fight against the use of fracking in the oil and gas industry in Poland.

According to the latest studies of the Polish geological Institute, the estimated amount of shale gas in the country is estimated in the range of 346 – 768 billion cubic meters. This will provide the country with gas for 35 – 65 years old and makes Poland the third-largest deposits of oil shale country in Europe. However, recent test drilling for gas is not performed, mainly due to delays on the part of the services relating to this sector of the economy, and protests by environmental groups preventing the implementation of plans for drilling.





Today, in the context of the sharp fall in oil prices, continuous supply of cheap coal and increasing the profitability of renewable energy sources in EU, shale industry needs a fast and positive effect. Experts say that 2015 will be a key year for companies engaged in exploration of shale in Poland. But unfortunately, obtaining a positive effect is related to the resolution companies to drill the land for 5 th depth without carrying out appropriate assessment of environmental risks.

Companies working in the shale industry, use vague wording in order to convince people in the great potential of the method of fracking for gas production. But when beliefs no longer "work", companies simply bribe people. So, in the South-East of Poland, Chevron organized a charity Christmas party for rural residents, with gifts to children in the form of a toy tiger with a company logo.

However, there is the assumption that in Pomerania toxic waste from gas wells is dumped into the local river, and experts fear that contaminated water can get into the river Radunia and water-supply network of gdańsk.

Source: www.ozemle.net