Firms downbeat about Polish shale gas prospects

Shale gas companies operating in Poland appear more pessimistic than ever about the prospects of commercial exploitation in the country.

One area of concern is a parameter known as total organic carbon (TOC), which indicates the amount of carbon in geological formations.

“It appears that in some parts of the western Baltic Basin [considered the most promising] net thickness of shale with high enough TOC is low compared with North American standards,” said Pawel Poprawa of the Institute of Energy Studies.