Bloomberg: Chevron bringing fracking to Eastern Europe
Chevron is betting it can win over Eastern Europeans with the idea of energy independence even after dry wells and government delays led Exxon Mobil and Talisman Energy to scrap efforts to tap natural gas deposits in Polish shale.
Bringing shale drilling to Europe from North America promises to help the region ease years of dependence on Russian fuel and hurts the Kremlin's ambition to secure the country's future as an energy superpower. Use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, upended the U.S. gas industry, which overtook Russia as the biggest producer, driving prices to a decade-low.
"This resource could certainly enhance energy security within Europe and also bring enormous economic benefits," said Ian MacDonald, Chevron vice president for Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East. "Chevron believes that upon learning how these hydrocarbon resources can be explored for and developed safely, the governments and citizens of Central Europe will be supportive."