Hungary looks to open shale gas deposits
by The Canadian Press
Hungary is looking for more energy independence, as it depends on Russia for some 80 per cent of its gas needs
WARSAW, Poland—Hungarian government officials say the country is looking to start producing tight gas, an unconventional form of fossil fuel, from its deposits and contribute to Europe’s energy independence.
Hungary’s unconventional gas deposits are estimated at some 1,500 billion cubic meters, but they are deep and hard to access.
Attila Nyikos, deputy head for international affairs at Hungary’s Energy Authority, told The Associated Press that Hungary wants to be among the few European countries embracing extraction of unconventional gas. Many states are reluctant to extract tight and shale gas amid environmental concerns.
Shell’s U.S. website describes tight gas as “…natural gas that is dispersed within low-porosity silt or sand areas that create a tight-fitting environment for the gas. Tight gas is defined (in the U.S.) as having less than 10 percent porosity and less than 0.1 millidarcy permeability.”
All that basically means is that it’s tough to get at, but the same drilling and completion technology that is effective with shale gas can also be used to access and extract tight gas.
Hungary depends on Russia for some 80 per cent of its gas needs. It has about 100 research wells for unconventional gas, seven of them by the Canadian company Falcon TXM, including one with small-scale commercial production.
