Reuters: Poland's first commercial shale gas well possible this year- minister

The first shale gas well in Poland producing large-scale commercial quantities of gas may be launched this year, Environment Minister Maciej Grabowski was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

He added that so far there have been over 60 exploratory shale gas wells drilled in Poland and he expects a further 40 such wells drilled by the end of the year, meaning millions of dollars of further spending on exploration.

"I am in constant contact with firms exploring gas," Grabowski told the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper. "They say that commercial extraction could be launched the soonest in the Pomerania region (near the Baltic coast)."

"And there are chances that the first such well will be launched this year."
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