“As far as shale gas is concerned, the [tender] commission will announce the winner in the near future. Then the license will be issued and then the authorities in charge will draft an agreement within a certain period of time and submit it to the government,” Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius told reporters after a political council on Tuesday.
It meant that Chevron would be able to launch shale gas exploration, he said.
“They will still have to implement certain procedures, but they will be given that right,” Butkevičius said.
He stated that local communities, which objected to shale gas production, had lost their chance for talks after refusing to attend the meeting with Chevron organized by the government last week.
“The communities had their chance last week but they never used it and we are no longer able to continue now,” Butkevičius said.
The tender commission of the Environment Ministry is expected to announce Chevron the winner of shale gas exploration and extraction tender at a meeting due on September 16.
