WARSAW, Poland, May 19 (UPI) -- Natural gas deposits locked in shale in Bulgaria could change the country's energy mix but it needs to be done safely, the country's energy minister said.
Shale gas reserves in the United States are among the greatest in the world. Poland, meanwhile, is one of the European leaders in shale with an estimated 176 billion cubic feet of unconventional natural gas reserves.
Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said during a Polish gas conference that shale could be a game changer for his energy sector.
"As far as shale gas is concerned, the global markets are changing," he was quoted by the Sofia News Agency as saying. "It is crucial that the shale gas extraction technologies are environmentally safe."
Bulgaria holds an estimated 1 billion cubic feet of shale gas deposits.
Critics complain the chemicals used in the hydraulic mix that coaxes natural gas out of underground rock formations could harm drinking water aquifers, creating more environmental problems than they solve.
A study published online in the journal Climatic Change, meanwhile, argues methane leaking during shale gas production does more harm to the environment than burning coal.
