According to a report by the Ministry of Environment in Lithuania, mainly oil, rather than shale gas, has been produced in Lithuanian rocks. The discovery was made during research carried out on rocks containing shale hydrocarbons, DELFI reported.
Following more than 500 studies, it has been concluded that mostly liquid hydrocarbons (shale oil) have been produced, instead of gas hydrocarbons. The Ramučiai-1 borehole (Šilutė district) was the only one to indicate the possibility of having reached the zone of condensate and wet gas maturity.
Through analyzing the research data, it is believed that, of the total amount of hydrocarbons generated in the rocks, 70 percent are liquid hydrocarbons (oil) and 30 percent are gas hydrocarbons.
Commenting on the unexpected findings of the report, Daiva Matonienė, Deputy Environment Minister, said: “Basically, the specified results change nothing. For us, as a country, it does not matter if it is oil or gas in the shale layers. The most important thing is safe extraction, and ensuring maximum benefits for the budget and the community. At the moment, the Ministry of Environment is preparing the new legal tax base for the exploration and extraction of the hydrocarbon resources. We have to be very well prepared, so that we will be able to consider the new international tender for shale resources.”
The report highlighted that shale oil, whose economic value in the United States is 4 times greater than that of shale gas, is becoming increasingly important in the energy sector. It is expected to have a significant economic impact on the oil market in the future.
However, the Deputy Environment Minister pointed out that the final results would not be known until after the exploitation of the shale rocks.
The total amount of shale gas and oil that can be extracted is still to be determined.
Source: The Baltic Course
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/energy/?doc=92021