Shale gas – meeting of experts at NIK [reportage]

Representatives of the government administration, the world of science and business have gathered for a meeting at the NIK headquarters. ”This panel is to help answer the question what issues in the system of shale gas search and extraction need to be audited and repaired” - explains Piotr Miklis, the Head of the NIK Regional Branch in Wrocław.

Experts on the search and extraction of shale gas [reportage]

Shale gas

The debate focused on three key issues: divergent estimates on the shale gas resources, consistency of binding provisions and potential impact of the gas extraction on natural environment. The auditors’ questions were answered among others by the representatives of the Ministry of Environment, State Mining Authority and Polish Geological Institute.

The head of the former institution, prof. Jerzy Nawrocki, when asked about the reason of differences in estimates on the shale gas resources in Poland answered that he believed that in this case the world of science was mistaken to the world of politics and business. In the first one it is completely natural that with the small amount of input data and the methods based on the probability calculus we obtain different results. ”The world of science is not to blame in this matter. And the Polish Geological Institute has always tried to be reliable, communicating all constraints of the results it provides” - explains Mr. Nawrocki. NIK will have a closer look at all the works aimed at determining the amounts of shale gas resources in Poland.

The meeting was also attended by the professors from the University of Wrocław. Prof. Marek Szydło presented a legal analysis in which he pinpointed the weaknesses of regulations stipulating the extraction and utilisation of shale gas in Poland. While prof. Krzysztof Świerkosz reported on potential consequences of the shale gas extraction for the natural environment. ”It is very much possible to reconcile extraction works and the environment protection postulate in this case but we have to get prepared for that really well. We owe it to our kids who will not benefit from the power safety if they have to live in an ecological desert” - underlines the expert who during the panel referred to some incidents which occurred during the shale gas extraction in the USA.

The Supreme Audit Office will publish the audit results in a special report which in spring 2013 will be delivered to the key individuals in the country, including the President, Prime Minister, Sejm deputies, senators and government members. The very same report will be published by NIK in the Public Information Bulletin.