Europe's two-horse shale race
Legal and environmental challenges are tying the hands of governments keen to exploit unconventional gas
Germany's position as the only European country with substantial production of unconventional gas could be under threat from Poland. From a late start, Poland is now producing more than 0.6bn cubic metres a year, with an increasing percentage coming from tight gas, according to the latest figures from the International Energy Agency. That compares with Germany's 0.58bn cm/y, mainly sourced from coal-bed methane. However, by North American standards, European production remains a drop in the ocean, a state of affairs that's unlikely to change any time soon. For instance, the Czech Republic's production hovers around 0.1bn cm/y while France's output has collapsed to zero since the millennium f
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
