Fracking protesters stop drilling convoy in eastern Romania

12:36 15.10.2013
Romania

Hundreds of Romanian villagers have protested against fracking by blocking a convoy of vehicles sent to begin test drilling for American energy company Chevron.

The rally, involving about 400 people, including many women and children, took place near the village of Pungesti, in the east of Romania.

The group staged the demonstration on a field where the US energy giant intents to drill its first exploration well.

Many arriving in horse-drawn carts, the villages forced the convoy to turn around.

Fracking projects have sparked protests around the world with controversy over the impact of the technique, which is used to drill for shale gas and oil.

Hydraulic fraction or «fracking» pumps water and chemicals at high pressure into deep rock formations to created fractures and free oil and gas.

Environmentalists argue the technique may contaminate ground water and even cause small earthquakes.

Chevron has permits prospect in three villages in this part of eastern Romania, and to explore for shale gas on Romania’s Black Sea coast and as maintains that all its activities have been in compliance with Romanian and EU laws and industry standards, says the Global Post report.

Adapted from Romania-Insider

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