Ukraine plans to become shale “superpower” in 20 years and for other people's money.
Vladimir Omelchenko, the leading expert of power programs of Razumkov analytical Center (Kiev) answers the questions of Internet portal “The world and we”.
- What is your relation to the statements of the Ukrainian politicians, in particular, the Minister of Energy Yury Boyko, that thanks to the shale gas production, Ukraine will turn into the exporter of this type of fuel in 7 years?
In my opinion, in these terms, in 7 years, it is possible to receive only the first minimum commercial volumes of production of shale gas. I would divide a question of prospects of production of this type of fuel into a problem of providing consumers in Ukraine and on possible prospects of export. If to speak about the supply possibility of only the Ukrainian consumers, so it is extremely difficult to name the affirmative terms. According to various calculations, in 10-15 years there is a possibility to leave on volume of production of 10 billion cubic meter of shale gas at most which can be sent to internal consumers.
The situation is even less certain concerning the gas export if such possibility for Ukraine will appear at all. In any case, it is possible to expect the export not earlier than in 15-20 years and that under condition of intensive development of fields of shale gas.
- What are the prospects of shale gas production in Ukraine in comparison with the USA, whose technologies are planned to use for production? There is an opinion that gas-bearing layers in Ukraine are much more deeply and for this reason the gas production from shales will appear unprofitable.
There are different layers, different geological structures of shale gas bedding in the USA. It is not absolutely correct to compare their conditions of bedding to ours. Unlike the USA, the geological structures of bedding of this gas practically aren't studied in Ukraine. The big investments are necessary to study, to reveal these resources, to confirm them and to transfer to category of stocks. Only after that the possibility to draw conclusions about profitability of production and to carry out comparisons with conditions to the USA will appear.
- The shale gas production assumes the rilling of thousands wells with horizontal trunks. Do the existing economic situation in Ukraine and possibility of the budget allow to carry out such large investments?
The financing of shale gas production at the expense of the state budget isn't planned in Ukraine. The Ukrainian management assumes to use only the involved investment resources for the solution of these tasks.
- How the existing technology of shale gas production is effective? After all it was known long ago about its possibilities, but it began to be used in the USA only after considerable reduction of stocks of traditional gas.
It is possible to judge it, first of all, by experience of the USA and China which show the reality and efficiency of this technology. The production of shale gas corresponds to a situation in the market, market conditions. This gas can be competitive. As to Ukraine, if to speak here about something affirmatively, it is necessary to carry out very serious research of geological structures and for this purpose it is necessary to spend from 500 million to 1 billion dollars. Only after that it will be possible to speak about efficiency of shale gas production in Ukraine. Such researches aren't carried out yet. Before that, the matters can be considered only in a theoretical order.
- Is the real program of carrying out of these researches developed in Ukraine?
Such program is developed in NSC “Naftogaz” and there are certain researches of geological structures, but experimental drillings on shale gas aren't carried out by this organization. And it is the most important moment. In any case, this task can’t be solved without powerful investors.
- What is your relation to statistics on the largest company Chesapeake Energy extracting shale gas in the USA. According to it the company suffers losses and the income of gas sale doesn't allow to cover even the current costs of production.
It seems to me, it is unilateral information because for today the gas cost in the USA in 4 times below than in Ukraine. And the big merit in it belongs to shale gas. Shale gas in the USA is actively extracted and nobody is going to turn off these programs – it is on the contrary they plan to develop this direction. The big investments are put in it and this direction remains to be the most important in strategy of power safety of the USA.
- There is an opinion that the artificial stir was lifted round the production of shale gas to inflate the next financial bubble in stock markets. How far this assumption represents the facts?
It seems to me that it is prejudiced information, probably, starting with any Russian structures which have not been interested in the development of this direction. Shale gas gets every year the increasing role in energy supply of the USA and it is not any financial bubble, but tens of billion cubic meters of gas which arrives to the industry and the population.
- In your opinion, 84 billion cubic meters of the shale gas, extracted in the USA in 2009 are the large volume?
It is very large volume. Except shale gas, the USA extracts also the coal mine methane. These directions develop actively. Thanks to the production of nonconventional gas, the USA practically stopped an import of natural gas and completely passed to self-sufficiency, became the world's largest gas power.
- What are the ecological consequences of shale gas production by means of technology of a hydro rupture of a layer? After all it is known, that its production is completely forbidden in France for the ecological reasons?
The oil production, if not to observe the certain standards, is even more dangerous action than production of shale gas. There are technologies which allow to extract the shale gas reliably, safely. Everything depends on how these technologies are applied and if the serious control on observance of standards of safety and ecological norms will be adjusted in the country, so there wouldn’t any problems. Because such companies as Shell possess appropriate technologies which minimize these risks from the point of view of ecology and safety.
Reference “The world and we”
To “dig” to the gas in Ukraine in 3-5 times more deeply than in the USA
The director of Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Peter Gozhik argues: “The wells of shale gas differ from the wells of natural gas and cost more expensive. It is necessary to establish much on a field of such wells. For example, the Americans put thousands wells with horizontal trunks on fields.
It is difficult technologically for us. Besides, the gas fields are more deeply than in America that complicates and raise the price of production even more. The main, big fields are in the USA on depth from 500 to 900 m though there are also fields which reach 2 km. But our fields are located at level to 3 km, on the average of depth of 2-2,5 km. It complicates and raise the price of production process”.
“Revolutionary” volumes of production in the USA?
In 2009, 84 billion cubic meters of shale gas were extracted in the USA. It is only 8 % from the annual volume of “Gazprom” production and 2,7 % of universal production. According to statements of the American press and reports of the companies, the cost of production is 160 dollars for cubic meter. But thus the major parameter isn't considered – the heat bearing ability of shale gas. And it in 2 times lower, than the gas extracted from traditional fields. Therefore in comparison with usual gas, the cost of production makes about 320 dollars for one thousand cubic meters. For comparison, the cost of production of one thousand cubic meter of “Gazprom” is 19 dollars. It is obvious that there is no question about economic efficiency of production of shale gas in comparison with traditional.
The stir in the financial markets gets stronger.
There was a series of publications in The New York Times newspaper on the basis of hundred letters from branch analysts and advisers. Too optimistic forecasts of production and the overestimated stocks of shale gas were in question. Many participants of correspondence noted the intended distortions of data and expressed the fear that new financial bubbles become ripe. About 21 billion dollars were invested in the shares of the companies extracting shale gas. Many companies managed to sell the business advantageously in the conditions of the stir.
At the same time there was a confirmation that the American companies really were engaged in additions for the raising of shares quotations - this activity reached such sizes that the Department of Energy of the USA was compelled to declare the correction of indicators of production backdating towards the reduction.
Profits on gas don't suffice even on towers which extract it.
The expert of Agency of oil and gas information Alexander Hurshudov, studying the annual reports of the largest American company on shale gas production Chesapeake Energy drew the following conclusions. In 2009 the company made large write-off of assets for the sum of 11,2 billion dollars. This fact shows that the service life of the written-off wells makes 5-8 years – it is several times less than at production of usual gas. For this reason the drilling of considerably bigger number of wells is necessary. The high cost of production leads to that already now many extracting companies can't pay expenses on a construction of new and amortization of old wells at the expense of sale of the extracted gas.
Results of the use of “revolutionary technology” in Europe.
In 2010, 9 projects of investigation on shale gas started in Europe, five from which are in Poland. The drilling of a prospecting well costs $20 million there. The first gas from depth of 1620 m is received in a well of Markowola-1. Judging by that the gas output wan't specified in messages, the inflow was fading. The president of the Polish state company PGNiG M. Shubsky considers the first results of investigation “not so good”, but still trusts in prospects of shale gas. There is no information about the results of drilling on other projects. Meanwhile, the Polish government already, understood the true price of the American know-how and concluded the long-term contract for delivery of gas till 2037 with “Gazprom” and the volume of deliveries is increased with 9,7 to 11 billion cubic meters.
They drill the shale gas – the water burns in a water supply system.
The huge volumes with poisonous chemicals are drilling in the subsoil at the hydro rupture of the layer. It inevitably leads to pollution of underground waters and an ecological disaster. This situation reached critical level in several states of the USA. You can see the results of revolutionary technology below in a trailer to the film “Gasland”. If to bring a match to a usual water tap, there would be an explosion. This is inevitable consequence of drilling of thousands wells and downloading tons of chemicals under the land.
Video: And we have the gas in the apartment! Shale one...
Viewed : 789 Commented: 0
Author: Mikhail Mikhaylov
Publication date : 17 April 2012 10:22
Source: The world and we
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