After thousands of people protested against the plans of the government to allow US oil company Chevron to look for shale gas in North-eastern Bulgaria, the MP’s voted the ban of gas, including shale gas, and oil exploration and production in Block 1 Novi Pazar. The announcement came from the governmental press center today.

 

The motive of the vote was that there was not enough data that the fracking method is not harmful for the underground waters, the environment and the health of the population.

 

Energy minister Traicho Traikov said, as quoted by dnevnik.bg, that negotiations with Chevron will be held because it was not clear of the company was ready to carry out conventional gas exploration.

 

Even though media reports were rather optimistic, the ban does not seem so definitive. “The government decided to hold back the use of the fracking technology until there is no solid evidence that it is safe to use” Traikov said.

 

The shale gas production moratorium will be voted tomorrow. Earlier today environmentalists commented that the government tried to disguise a mere postponing of fracking as a total ban of shale gas exploration and production.