ExxonMobil drops shale plans in Poland
WARSAW -- ExxonMobil confirmed Monday it has dropped further shale exploration in Poland after two wells didn't produce commercial quantities of natural gas.
"We have completed exploration operations in Poland," said company spokesman Patrick McGinn. "There have been no demonstrated sustained commercial hydrocarbon flow rates in our two wells in the Lublin and Podlasie basins."
Poland's Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak said the U.S. company should either give up its licenses, or sell them to another firm. ExxonMobil acquired six licenses in central and eastern Poland in 2009 and 2010, on the spur of great success companies had in shale gas exploration in the U.S., in comparable geological conditions.
Pawlak noted that other major companies continue their exploration for unconventional gas, including another U.S. firm, Chevron, and Poland's gas and oil giant, PGNiG.
Some two dozen global energy companies are searching for shale gas across Poland. The country's energy hopes were also hit this year when a geological study estimated recoverable reserves at no more than some 768 Bcm, much less than originally hoped.
06/18/2012