Chevron Corp. plans to survey its acreage in Poland this year and drill its first well there in 2011.

Head of Global Exploration, Bobby Ryan said Chevron would seek out shale opportunities in newer, more affordable places such as Eastern Europe and Canada.

"Shale gas is definitely on our radar screen. We're looking in places where there's what we believe to be a better value proposition," Ryan told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.

"All the stories you read make it sound like a unique skill. If you've never done it before, it might be unique to your company, but we've done it before."