ExxonMobil cools European shale enthusiasm

Poland: Production from Polish shale wells, like Chevron's Grabowiec 6, was at least five years away, ExxonMobil's Kevin Biddle said.

Reuters/Scanpix

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By News Wires

 21 February 2012 01:52 GMT

US oil group ExxonMobil sought to cool predictions of a European shale gas revolution, saying commercial production was at least five years away and dismissed forecasts offered by other industry players as "highly speculative".

Kevin Biddle, Exxon's exploration director for Europe, also downplayed the prospects for Poland –believed by many to have the continent's largest reserves – leading the shale gas charge, saying on Monday that Germany was more likely to be the first shale gas producer, Reuters reported.

"Five years is possible for some areas -- we have to be working at a pretty good clip to get any significant production online in that time," he told the International Petroleum Week conference in London.

ExxonMobil is one of the most active drillers for shale gas on…

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