June was the next consecutive month that saw a decrease in the rate of shale gas exploration in Poland. Again, the number of active exploration concessions was lower than in the preceding month. Currently, there are 45 of them awarded to 14 Polish and international companies that belong to 12 capital groups. Comparing with 2012, there are 68 shale gas exploration concessions less.
One concession - "Zwierzyniec" held by Chevron Polska Sp. z o.o. in the Lublin and Podkarpacie Provinces – was relinquished in June.
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. New shale gas exploration and/or appraisal concessions were not awarded.
The total area under concessions shrank to 36,700 km2 from 90,000 km2 at the turn of 2012.
Concession holders drilled 70 appraisal wells, including 16 directional/horizontal and 54 vertical boreholes, by 18 June 2015. No new well has been drilled in the past three months. Two shale gas wells have been drilled in 2015.
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.
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.
18.06.2015
source: Ministerstwo Środowiska
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