Investors show interest in the Belarusian Sands

Recently, there was a lot of talk both abroad and in Belarus itself about shale gas.

Recently, there was a lot of talk both abroad and in Belarus itself about shale gas.

A few days ago Vladimir Varaksa, the deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources Geology Department and Belarus Environmental Protection, said that there were already the first candidates for the development of Belarusian shale. At present, negotiations are taking place about the projects possibilities to develop oil shale deposits with several foreign companies. These are companies from Russia, the United States and the Baltic countries.

"Each of them brings its own terms, but who we choose as the main partner, is too early to decide," - Varaksa said ("Ezhenedelnyk", 07.26.2011). Registered at the end of 2010 legal body OJSC “Oil Shale” is already awaiting its p otential investor, which in the medium term will reduce the dependence of Belarus on Russian gas supplies.

Accurate inventories of the resources in Belarus are unknown. But according to the strategy of the energy potential development by 2014, Belarus plans to build a mining and chemical plant for the extraction and processing of oil shale capacity of 5 million tons per year.

Oil shale can benefit Belarus with high-calorie liquid and gaseous fuels and valuable chemicals, various construction materials and fertilizers. Industrial reserves of oil shale in Belarus are concentrated in two fields - Luban and Turov. 30% of these deposits have previously been explored. The depth of the layers varies from 50 m to 600 m and more, the power of recovery is 0, 1-3, 7 meters. Probable resources are estimated in Luban about 1.223 billion tons, and in Turov - 2.684 billion tons.

Minsk intends to attract investors to search shale gas. Belarusian experts are taking technological advice on the issue with companies from Russia, Poland, Lithuania, the U.S. and other countries already have experience in this field. It is expected that in the near future shale gas search in Belarus will unfold in the Brest region.