The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy and Energy has cancelled an exploration permit awarded to Chevron in May 2011 that would have allowed the company to drill for shale case on the northeastern onshore Novi Pazar block.
Minister Traicho Traikov said the cancellation is in keeping with the government’s full ban on shale gas drilling, but he said Chevron will still be allowed to carry out exploration operations on the block if it does so only with conventional drilling and without hydraulic fracturing.