Shale gas ‘great opportunity’ for Poland’s security, says FM Sikorski

Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw, photo: PAP/Leszek Szymanski

“We already have a few bore-holes, more data and a doubling of the resource estimates in [Poland],” Sikorski said, adding that “this is a great opportunity to strengthen our energy security as well as [Poland’s] position in general.”

Poland’s foreign minister underlined that shale gas production should go ahead despite what he called “black propaganda” in connection with a recent motion in the French parliament on the banning of oil and gas fracking and the consequences it might have on the European stage.

“If we were led by fear then we would never be able to introduce any new technologies,” Sikorski said.

The comments come before a conference at the Copernicus Science Centre on European energy security, which is to also broach the issue of shale gas.
Both Radoslaw Sikorski and Lee Feinstein, the US Ambassador to Poland, are to attend the conference.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Poland could have as much as 5.3 trillion cubic metres of shale gas reserves, enough to fuel the country for around 300 years, say estimates.

Shale gas is also expected to be one of the topics that will be embraced during President Barack Obama’s visit to Poland towards the end of the month. (jb)

Source: IAR