* After Bârlad, Chevron is also prospecting in Constanţa
* Potential negative effects: micro-earthquakes, water contamination, increased risk of cancer occurrences
After recently securing the agreement of the authorities to install the first well in Bârlad, in order to exploit shale gas, American company Chevron has continued its steps for exploration in the county of Constanţa as well.
Prospecţiuni SA, the company controlled by Ovidiu Tender, which is conducting the geophysical studies for Chevron, has begun prospecting about 40 km away from Constanţa, in the perimeter of the towns of Plopeni and General Scărişoreanu.
In august, BURSA reported that Prospecţiuni SA owned by billionaire Ovidiu Tender had begun exploration in the Podişul Hârtibaciului area, which spans the counties of Braşov, Mureş and Sibiu.
It would seem that the seekers of shale gas have also set their sights on the Bihor area, as the residents of several villages of Bihor have accused certain companies, in the beginning of October, that they have destroyed their crops and roads by exploring for unconventional resources.
According to the representatives of Prospecţiuni, the procedure of exploring for shale gas in the region of Constanţa was initiated recently, as the researchers were present in the area to determine whether such mineral reserves exist below the surface. As for prospecting the underground, the officials of the company owned by Tender told us that it is no different than the one which allows detecting the conventional reserves of oil and gas.
Currently, the experts of Chevron are in the seismic exploration phase, an analysis method which involves sending sound waves at high depth. Studying the echoes of those sound waves which return to the surface, geologists can easily find out where the oil and natural gas deposits are located, the quoted
