Fracking in Europe

There are compelling reasons why Europe should replicate the U.S. shale boom. It would bring lower energy prices, for one. The continent's awkward dependence on Russia — which provides about a third of Europe's gas — is another. From the United Kingdom to Poland, companies have tried and failed to replicate the success of fracking in the U.S. In part, their efforts have been stymied by aggressive political opposition. Europeans are refusing to sign up for the shale revolution because they fear it will sully their scenery, contaminate their drinking water and clog their country lanes. But shale holds the promise of cheaper gas that can boost the economy and weaken Russia's grip on Europe’s energy. So which set of imperatives will win — or could they coexist?

Europe’s got more recoverable shale gas than the U.S., according to estimates, yet there’s been little exploration. Germany, France, the Netherlands, Scotland and Bulgaria all effectively ban fracking. The only major activity is in Ukraine, which is weaning itself off of Russian gas, and in the U.K., where the government is promoting the technology to help replace plunging domestic output from the North Sea. In October, Cuadrilla Resources won permission to frack as many as four wells in the U.K., ending a two-and-a-half year battle with local authorities. In 2011, tremors caused by an exploratory Cuadrilla rig in northwestern England led to a one-year moratorium on fracking in the country. In 2013, hundreds of protesters camped in a tiny village south of London until the company abandoned its well there. People in Zurawlow, a town in eastern Poland, successfully blockaded a fracking site in 2012 and Greenpeace activists have occupied a shale gas rig in Denmark. The fury — along with regulatory delays, tax concerns and poor output from a handful of test wells — has driven away investors. Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Total abandoned projects in Poland after exploration proved disappointing. Meager gas flows also halted progress in Denmark, with Total ditching shale gas drilling there.