site.btaNo Licence for Coal Gas, Oil Extraction in the Vicinity of Dobrich Has Been Issued - Environment Minister

ESD 17:31:00 03-09-2014
TK1731ES.127
127 POLITICS - ENVIRONMENT - COAL GAS - PROSPECTING

No Licence for Coal Gas, Oil Extraction
in the Vicinity of Dobrich
Has Been Issued - Environment Minister

Sofia, September 3 (BTA) - No licence has been issued for coal
gas and oil extraction in the vicinity of Dobrich (Northeastern
Bulgaria) by Park Place Energy Corp. They are still prospecting
only and this is being monitored closely to meet the
requirements of the law. Reaching the point of extraction
requires a long procedure of coordination and environment impact
assessment, Environment and Water Minister Svetlana Zhekova
told journalists Wednesday.

The drilling and prospecting in the area are not dangerous for
groundwaters in Dobroudja, Hristo Kazandzhiev, an expert on
drilling said.

In April the Bulgarian government awarded a contract to Park
Place Energy Corp. of the United States to explore and drill
near the village of Vranino in the vicinity of Kavarna. The
company does not have a licence to work, however, because there
is a long procedure including coordination with the Ministry of
Environment and Water. The company is obligated to submit a work
plan, Zhekova said. Every subsequent action, including the
final approval of the work plan, must be subjected to
environment impact assessment and compatibility assessment. The
work plan for 2014 does not provide for new drillings which also
have to be approved by the ministry in order to become part of
the work plan. Only when the methods of extraction are announced
that the ministry can decide whether to forbid them, Zhekova
said./VI/BR