"Shale Gas Revolution" will make Poland a Leading Country in Europe!

Ewa Zalewska, director of geology at Poland's Ministry of the Environment, says Polish shale gas is "the gold rush of the 21st century," while other officials have spoken of Poland as the "next Norway" and a future "energy super-power." Poland's reserves are estimated at 1.4 trillion to 3 trillion cubic meters. And the government is working closely with the U.S., signing on to the U.S. State Department's Global Shale Gas Initiative, which aims to "help countries seeking to utilize their unconventional natural gas resources."

Several factors make Poland attractive to foreign energy firms, according to Grzegorz Pytel, energy expert at the Sobieski Institute, a think tank in Warsaw. Under current regulations, producers pay only a 1 percent tax on the volume of hydrocarbons produced, plus a 19-percent corporation tax

- both low rates by international standards. Also, concession contracts are for longer periods of time than in other countries and cover larger geographical areas.

The largely unanswered question, though, is how producers are going to sell the gas once it is extracted, Pytel says. Polish demand is 14 billion cubic meters a year a year, with 10 billion of that coming from Russia's Gazprom. To export excess natural gas produced in Poland, Pytel says Polish gas companies will probably have to strike a deal with Russia, which effectively controls pipelines running through Poland.

Andrzej Kassenberg, president of the Warsaw-based Institute for Sustainable Development, says shale gas could help reduce Poland's need for coal-derived electricity (currently 92 percent of production) and serve as a "transition" energy source on the way to a more renewable future. But he is concerned that shale gas drilling could spoil the landscape and exacerbate water shortages in some areas. "There are going to be thousands of drilling towers and lots of new roads and pipelines, and that could cause social problems," says Kassenberg.

e360.yale.edu/feature/fracking_comes_to_europe_sparking_rising_controversy/2374/

Chevron Looking At Shale Gas Deals In Poland, Romania -Executive

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110321-708221.html

Can you honestly put your hand on your heart and say there is no danger or harm to the environment, no risk, no environmental cost from shale fracking?

Which company do you work for, by the way?

Why rely on foreign energy firms?

And another thing...if all this is true, my state should be the richest state in the US when it's one of the poorest. We are the second largest producer of natural gas, so where's the money? We are doing alright, but we aren't a rich state by any stretch of the imagination. So what gives?

Of course he cant he just wants to get paid period.

i dont know about others but there are lines i wouldnt cross in order to make a living, what ever i do it has to provide something beneficial for society, the positives need to far out weigh the negatives. Lets say this guy gets his contract and pollutes vast water supplies and ultimately ruins the lives of thousands of poor Polish citizens. How will he sleep at night? Nobody knows the long term effects of fracking.

Hes brainwashed.

Well, it depends on how you do it, which energy company you use. Some are better than others. My state produces a lot of natural gas and we don't have those problems, yet they exist in places in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wyoming. None of the cases involve our local energy corporations, though. It's companies like Encana that are causing the problems. Just be careful who does the drilling and good overseeing by government agencies should help.

huh, do they even exist.

I try to hint at this earlier...In Pennsylvania, which is getting into 'fracking'/shale gas big time, the state get diddly squat...The gas companies keep all the money, I think they even get 'no state tax' for a number of years...People on whose land the 'fracking' is done get money, either as rent, or gas company buy land...New Governor here, Tom Corbett, swinja, get nearly $1 million in contributions to his campaign from gas drillers last year...This doesn't include many other bribes and kickbacks...Average citizen get whuj up dupa...As bad as f***ing Nigeria.

This is what gives...Look at Pennsylvania:


philly.com/philly/news/How_Corbett_fracked_Pas_middle_class.html

One state that makes a friggin killing off it is Texas, since many of the companies are headquartered in Houston.

@Adam1974

Witaj w Polsce! Good luck with your work and i hope you enjoy Poland.

If you can, can you help answer a query.


This does not give much information, Does this mean a 1% levy on the market value of the gas? Is there any tax per cubic feet/metre in Poland? How would you asses the regulatory and taxation framework to the USA?

Also the chemicals used in Fracking have been in the news in Australia
w_ww.smh.com.au/business/coal-seam-gas-report-points-to-chemicals-ban- 20110202-1adt8.html

Specifically


Will your company be following industry best practise and also not use these chemicals in poland?

thanks


Thats a bit harsh wroclaw. People are trying to do the best they can and who knows the benefits might outweigh the costs if handled properly. If the goverment had as much tax revenue coming in as Norway then things might really change, of course since polish politicians are mostly thieving świńie co sprzedali nasz kraj this is unlikely but hopefully Poland gets a figure like Lula who can help the poor and also maintain economic credentials.

s

Adam, I listened, and in the end became skeptical, to a dog and pony presentation sponsored by RRC. Even the EPA has litigated RRC in TX for water supply pollution. The TX Railroad Commission is siding with RRC, so who are we to believe? The swiftness of drilling activity considering all the controversy raises concerns. The gas will remain, so why not wait for safer engineering guidelines. Are drilling companies more eager to drill, accepting detriment to the environment, and willing to be litigated for infractions than to do a job correctly? As a side note, it was funny, actually tragic, to see our local municipality implementing drilling guidelines. Where did they get the specs? From the drilling company, of course, proving that politicians know very little, relying on the fox (political action committees, ex governors, political contributors) to guard the chickens.

Adam, I actually care as do the people who are writing here.

I am from Pennsylvania and I believe that you are currently drilling in my hometown. It is not the rosey picture that you paint and that is me being polite. I respect that you believe what you do about the fracking process. Please respect that others do not. It does not make us all the uneducated crowd as you put it.

I am unhappy to say the least about the situation in my home area and would not like to see the same happen here in Poland where I have lived for more than 10 years. I think that you can accept my opinion as Polish. I live here. I own a home here. I speak Polish. My children were born in Poland and are Polish citizens. I am that proud "Pole" that you have been looking for. It is my pride in the place where I live and the place where I come from which compels me to look deeper and deeper into shale gas exploration and frankly, to not take your word as gold.

Normally at the end of my posts, I wish the author 'good luck' so I wish you good luck in finding out more about Poland.

PS If you are serious about your research about Polish people and making Poland "great", you need to do it in Polish.

PS2 Poland already is great.

For my analysis, visit Poland blog.

Having completed my studies in Human Resources Management at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and having research and prepared Management Report about Shale Gas in Poland, I would like to know if you there are any possible works on the the market for myself. Knowing how hard is to find human capital for the positions in Poland I do believe I could be a good asset

Currently, I am working as a Recruiter within Oil and Gas industry. However, I would welcome any HR/Admin/Commercial/Recruitment vacancy which may be suitable and available.

My email address is: inezwasi@hotmail tel. 0044 7593 22 79 29

Diana Wasilewska

Chris,, you will be happy (unhappy) to know nothing has changed in PA.
Adam, here is another kick in the teeth to the people from PA from gas companies. I just received a notice from Peoples Natural Gas Company that they are petitioning the State of PA for a rate increase of 4.9% "to cover the cost of natural gas which the Company purchases." How can a provider of natural gas be wanting an increase when the price (their cost) for natural gas has significantly decreased over the past couple years? Local MLPs (master limited partnerships) have steadily decreased the limited partner's share of gas revenues - because the price they get on the market has been significantly reduced. Where is the money going?

Gee, the water supply is ruined, AND, the price of gas for locals increases. It is definitely not benefiting the people of PA!

U.S. Estimates Poland Has 300 Years Worth of Shale Gas

blogs.wsj.com/new-europe/2011/04/07/u-s-estimates-poland-has-300-years-worth-of-shale-gas/

"Poland is facing a great chance," Donald Tusk said at a press conference with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, according to radio station TOK FM. "The deposits of shale gas have exceeded our most daring expectations. This may mean that the future of this part of the world isn't just in coal and nuclear energy, but maybe we'll find other solutions."

blogs.wsj.com/new-europe/2011/04/08/polish-government-sends-mixed-messages-on-shale-gas/

If anyone still thinks there's anything good about this toxic procedure of shale gas fracking they should read this. And remember that there are foreign companies who want to do this to Poland.


Here's the rest: guardian/environment/2011/apr/12/families-gas-drilling

There is already a new method for waterless oilsands extraction developed at Penn State University. It will use ionic liquids (salt in liquid state) to separate heavy oil, uses less energy than current systems and does not create toxic waste water.

Somehow I doubt that. It isn't a new method and does create toxic wastes.

That's polluting, too.

propublica.org/article/scientific-study-links-flammable-drinking-water-to-fracking

as if the water in the taps n poland wasin't bad enough! For the first time, a scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire.

We can also mention other activities linked to the "shale gas revolution":

The helicopter which flies over my sister's home in Pennsylvania from early morning to late evening carrying supplies to the the drilling site at the top of the mountain adjacent her home. The cease and desist order is due to kick in any day now.

The truck which recently crashed in my hometown spilling a tank of frack water into the front yard of a private home that the driver (luckily unhurt) reported to be fresh water. After "clean up" levels of toxic materials are much higher than the norm.

My friend whose well was contaminated due to fracking activity above her home, who unknowingly drank and served the water to her children. Unfortunately her youngest was most harmed and now with documented brain damage. They are currently in court.

But it is completely safe, isn't it?

This is great news. This will be a major source of wealth for Poland. They should not lease it though, they should keep it all for themselves, mine it out themselves and hoard it.

yeah, GK, that's an awesome business plan... did you come up with it all by yourself?

When the rest of the world will be slaves to Opec and Russia or Canada, Poland will have its own reserves to tap into. especially if they build cars and mass transit that runs on natural gas, they will survive the crisis while rest of world suffers. Its called common sense. you should get some.

This is a blessing from God I think. Pope John Paul had something to do with this natural gas deposit, he asked God to help us out... the struggling Poles invaded and destroyed for last 100 years, and God has answered the prayers, why would we want to sell this. Get it out and hoard it, and defend it with tanks.

And if they sell they should sell at very high prices... for france and germany double price of others haha

Says someone who clearly doesn't know what this gas actually involves.


And no-one will buy, instead choosing to use that nice pipeline from Russia.

oh, that's cute, GK. not to burst your bubble, but the 23 billion cubic meters that Poland has in shale gas reserves equals 812 billion cubic feet. The US has reserves of 616 trillion cubic feet, and has been mining at 1.1 trillion cubic feet a year since 2006.

don't get me wrong, it's awesome that Poland has another natural resource to exploit but it's not going to make you the next Saudi Arabia...

well you must be talking about confirmed reserves or the lowest estimate

ConocoPhillips estimates 3t, DOE estimates 23b.

Official estimate from Poland should show up in the next couple of months.

i keep my fingers crossed that it is 3 tcf

how do you say shale gas in Polish?

gaz łupkowy