Around 39% of Ukrainians are ready to support projects for the development of shale gas fields if accurate information on their realization is presented, according to the results of a poll conducted by GfK Ukraine.
"Projects for the development of shale gas fields in Ukraine are supported by 39% of Ukrainians aged 18 plus. Some 27% of Ukrainian have negative opinions on the issue. Another 34% of the respondents were not able to give their opinion, or know little about the shale gas projects in Ukraine," reads a press release of the company.
According to GfK Ukraine, among the reasons for the positive attitude to the issue is the prospect of cheaper gas and heating (85%). The supporters of alternative gas expect that new jobs will appear and investment will be attracted (68%) and the dependence of the country on Russia will reduce (65%).
Opponents often explain their position by ecological risks, particularly, the likelihood of drinking water contamination (70.4%), soil and air contamination (49.6% and 38.3%), the possible shortage of drinking water (34.7%) and risks of earthquakes (16.6%).
“The largest number of supporters of shale gas projects is in Kyiv (50%)… Projects for the development of shale gas fields in Ukraine could be considered nationally uniting, as the share of their supporters is approximately equal in all the regions of the country. Supporters of the projects in he east and west all want energy independence from Russia,” GfK Ukraine said.
People of 18-34 years old favor the extraction of shale gas, and the smallest number of supporters is among people older than 44. There is no the large impact of the level of education on the attitude to the issue.
“Some 57% of Ukrainians do not know what companies are planning to develop shale gas projects in Ukraine, 21% know the plans of Shell, 7% – about plans of Chevron and 6% about plans of Nadra Ukrainy. Some 11% of respondents believe that Gazprom and Naftogaz Ukrainy will carry out the projects,” GfK Ukraine said.
According to the company, 85% of Ukrainians want to know more on the shale gas projects. A total of 52% of respondents want to know about the benefits from the realization of the projects for Ukraine and how and who will control the operation of extracting companies.
The poll was conducted in the period from Apr 4 to Apr 22, 2013 among 1,000 respondents.
As reported, Ukraine in 2012 conducted tenders on the signing of PSA agreements on the Yuzovska (Kharkiv and Donetsk regions) and Oleske (Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions) shale gas fields.
U.S. company Chevron won a tender to develop the Oleske field and Shell – the Yuzovska field. The agreement with Shell was signed on Jan 24, 2013.
