PROTESTS AS THINGS GET UNDER WAY Chevron wants to get its shale gas by hook or by crook

This week, American company Chevron wanted to begin the installation of the rigs for the exploration of the shale gas in the Vaslui area, even though the authorities have not presented to the citizens so far, a study concerning the effects of this kind of operations.

We don't know yet whether the soil in the area will be able to swallow 35,000 tons of water a day, as stipulated daily by the exploitation techniques, if microearthquakes occur or if the water will still be drinkable in the area.

Vaslui is one of the poorest areas in the country, but people don't seem to be willing to compromise and are taking to the street. But the authorities in Bucharest are suspiciously silent.

The intention of Chevron is to begin the exploration of shale gas in the region of Vaslui sparked off the reaction of the residents of the villages of Siliştea and Armăşoaia in the Pungeşti commune, who took to the streets over the last two days, to protest the decision of the authorities which granted the American company a license to install a drill in the area.

For now, the protesters have succeeded in delaying the bringing in of the equipment sent in to prepare the installation of the Chevron rig, and one of the officials of the American company ordered the equipment, including the crane, to be stationed on the road, "until the situation in the area is resolved", according to the local press.

The protests in the region were attended by almost 300 people, including anti-Chevron activists who came in from Iaşi, Bârlad and Galaţi, who don't agree to the installation of the rig which will drill for shale gas.

The protesters have complained that the local authorities have not come to the area to explain to them how American company Chevron succeeded in getting a license to explore for shale gas. The residents have also asked for explanations on how a plot of land which was public property ended belonging to the mayor, who then leased it to Chevron.

However, the local authorities have denied this information, and said that the American company legally obtained all the permits and agreements to install its rig and machinery in the area.

About 80 policemen and gendarmes were dispatched to maintain order in the area.

The Chevron rig be located outside the Pungeşti commune, 650 meters from the town of Siliştea and 950 meters from the village of Pungeşti, and the extraction platform will span 20,928 meters. The drilling will be done at a depth of 3,000 meters, according to the quoted document. Some of the experts who studied the phenomenon aren't too happy with the installation of the rig near Siliştea because, according to some studies in the US, sources of water located less than one kilometer from the explorations or exploitations of shale gas can get contaminated with methane, hiking the risk of cancers in the residents of the area. Chevron also officially owns three zone planning certificates in the county of Vaslui to explore the soil in order to uncover the potential shale gas deposits.

• Wesley Clark, lobbying for the exploitation of shale gas

Wesley K. Clark, former NATO general and current honorary advisor to prime minister Victor Ponta, repeatedly said that he supports the exploitation of shale gas, an area which he says has an extraordinary future in Romania. Clark, who is involved in numerous energy businesses, was recently saying that Romania's chance is to exploit its mineral resources: "My job here is to support economic development, to support the creation of business opportunities in Romania. We are focusing on areas such as the exploitation of mineral resources, agriculture, hydrocarbons, the healthcare sector and other areas where we can bring technologies and investments which can create jobs. I think that Romania is a rich country which has capable people, but the investments that are needed here for economic developments do not exist here. We need a strategy for economic development, and it is this segment that I am working on". According to the press, general Clark is also co-president of Growth Energy, a lobby group in the area of alternative energy, and also a member on the board of BNK Petroleum Inc, which, through its subsidiary, Indiana Investments, conducts major operations for collecting shale gas in Poland.