August of 2015 saw a standstill in shale gas exploration – the number of wells drilled and concessions held is exactly the same as in the previous month. There are 40 concessions awarded to 10 Polish and foreign companies from 9 capital groups. Comparing with 2012, as much as 73 shale gas concessions have been terminated in Poland.
In terms of concessions held, PGNiG is the leader with 11 concessions, followed by Orlen Upstream Sp. z o.o. with 7 of them and Lotos Petrobaltic SA with 7 offshore concessions.
The total area under concessions shrank to 32,700 km2 (10% of the total area of Poland) from 90,000 km2 (almost 30% of Poland's area) at the turn of 2012.
Concession holders drilled 70 appraisal wells, including 16 directional/horizontal and 54 vertical boreholes, by 1 August 2015. One well – Wysin-2H at the “Stara Kiszewa” Concession, Pomeranian Province – is being drilled by United Oilfield Service for PGNiG. Only two shale gas exploratory wells (Pęclin - OU1 i Rawicz 12 SL-1) were completed in 2015.
It is planned to drill one well (Wysin-3H for PGNiG) in the near future.
In the past years, the progress of shale gas exploration drilling was as follows:
- 2010 - 3 wells,
- 2011 - 12 wells,
- 2012 - 24 wells,
- 2013 - 14 wells,
- 2014 - 15 wells.
Special jobs have been performed in some of the wells to initially assess the shale gas production potential. Hydraulic fracturing was performed in 25 wells (37% of all wells drilled), including 12 horizontal legs. DFIT (Diagnostic Fracture Injection Test) was performed in 9 wells. Special jobs are still to be made in 41 wells. No hydraulic fracture stimulation nor DFIT jobs have been performed in 2015.
In the past years, the number of hydraulic fracture stimulation and DFIT operations was as follows:
- 2010 - 2 wells fracture stimulated and 1 DFIT,
- 2011 - 7 wells fracture stimulated,
- 2012 - 8 wells fracture stimulated and 7 DFIT,
- 2013 - 4 wells fracture stimulated and 1 DFIT,
- 2014 - 4 wells fracture stimulated.
21.08.2015
source: Ministerstwo Środowiska
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