The gas and oil giant, Oil and Gas Capital, has applied for permission to prospect for gas in 22.357 hectares in the municipal areas of Calasparra, Moratalla, and Cehegín.
Oil and Gas Capital has applied to the Director General of Industry, Energy and Mines for licences to explore in the local area following several months of exploration for gas and petrol in the region of Valencia. The company has also applied for permission to prospect in Cantabria, Sevilla and Jaen.
A few years ago Repsol discovered natural gas when prospecting for petrol in North East Murcia.
Apparently Oil and Gas Capital are very interested in searching for different types of gases including “unconventional” gas. These are gases which are trapped in sediments and which have been technically impossible and/or extremely expensive to exploit up. However, a few years ago a new, specific technology was developed in America which fragments the rock thus permitting the gas to float to the surface.
In Amercia “unconventional” gas represents some 50% of the domestic supply of natural gas whereas in Spain it is imported from Algeria and other countries in tankers. Although the possibility of discovering a domestic supply of natural gas is causing some excitement the system of extraction employed has its critics.
