Oil major Chevron announced on Monday is was starting to put back equipment at its concession near the locality of Pungesti, Vaslui County, amid protests by villagers and NGO opposing shale gas explorations, according to media reports.
Over 100 people tried to block the access of equipment to the exploration site and the police had dispersed some of the protestors that had set up a camp near the concession.
The oil major said it would use conventional technologies to seek shale gas based on permits it secured this October.
Protests in Silistea erupted on 14 October and the company decided to withdraw its equipments from the site until the situation would stabilize. In the meantime, the company has started exploration activities at its sites in the Dobrogea region, southern Romania.
Policymakers in Romania favor the exploration of shale gas, claiming it can reduce the country’s reliance on Russian gas imports, which cover around 20 percent of the yearly consumption.
Thousands of protestors have took to the streets this autumn expressing their ager at the government’s intention to approve shale gas explorations and the mega gold mining project at Rosia Montana. They are calling for authorities to drop these projects over environmental risks.
Ovidiu Posirca