January 18, 2014
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation is concerned about getting toxic substances in the groundwater, which may occur as a result of shale gas production by the Ukraine. This was said January 17, in massage of the Ministry. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation the Ukraine is going to use hydraulic fracturing technology borrowed from the United States. Hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a technique in which typically water is mixed with sand and chemicals, and the mixture is injected at high pressure into a horizontal wellbore to create small fractures (typically less than 1mm), along which fluids such as gas or petroleum, and brine water may migrate to the well. Hydraulic pressure is removed from the well, then small grains of proppant (sand or aluminium oxide) hold these fractures open once the rock achieves equilibrium. After fracturing chemicals portion located outside together with the gas and require disposal, while the other part remains in the ground.
Experts of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation fear getting poisonous substance is concerned in groundwater and surface which can then be on the territory of Russia. Deputy Head of the RF Ministry of Natural Resources Rinat Gisatulin argues that there are not impermeable layers, buffer aquifers, regional water-resistant strata in subsoil areas in which the Ukraine intends to produce shale gas. Under the circumstances additional environmental hazards will arise. Rinat Gizatulin sent an analytical letter of the potential environmental hazards by shale gas production in the border areas to his Ukrainian colleague. He proposed a meeting to discuss the situation in more details.
The English-Dutch company Shell explores Yuzivska gas field located at the border with Russia in and around Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. In October 2013, the media reported Shell discovered the first gas on the Pavlovsky Svetlinsky subsoil plot in the Kharkiv region. In addition to Shell American Chevron and ExxonMobil explore shale hydrocarbons in Ukrain. But they work in the west and south.