San Leon finds commercial gas in Poland

European independent explorer San Leon Energy announced the discovery of its first major commercial shale gas deposit in Rawicz, Poland on Wednesday. The company plans to develop the field as a conventional resource.

“This is the well we have been waiting for – a significant gas discovery in one of the highest-priced gas markets in Europe,” Oisin Fanning, San Leon’s chairman, said in a statement.

Ireland-based San Leon’s discovery could help reduce Poland’s dependence on natural gas imports. When fully developed, the field will accommodate three to five additional wells. Composed of 70 percent methane, the quality of gas at San Leon’s discovery is consistent with other wells in the area.

Following flow tests dating back to early February, San Leon reported a maximum flow rate around 116,000 cubic metres (4.1 mcf) per day. The Rawicz fields likely represent the first of several projects in Poland for San Leon. San Leon’s equity share is 35 percent of the first two fields, and Palomar Natural Resources retains 65 percent equity.