Halliburton has done the first hydraulic fracturing job in Poland for PGNiG – the government’s oil and gas company. More at Reuters.com.

An article at Bloomberg.com speculates that the demand for LNG (liquefied natural gas) in China might increase by 48% by 2020.

An article on the Journal of Energy Security website explores energy consumption in India. Industry there has historically used lots of coal but new sources of gas and new pipelines could significantly expand the importance of natural gas.

Several major energy companies are getting involved in the natural gas shales of Poland. More in an article on the BusinessWeek.com website.

Jamaica has been considering an LNG regasification plant since 2001. Now abundant natural gas from shale and other sources appears to present a future with reliable supplies of low-cost natural gas. More in the Jamaica Observer.

Russia is already one of the major natural gas producers in the world and they are also very interested in testing their extensive gas shale resource. More at the Russian International News Agency website.

Although developing unconventional natural gas fields in Europe might be possible from a geological perspective, the task might be a lot more difficult than in the United States because of the higher population density and more intense land use. More at The Wall Street Journal.

The Polish government is cautioning investors that the amount of natural gas contained in the country’s shale units is unknown and that more precise numbers will not be known for years. More at Business Week.

ConocoPhillips plans to drill their first shale gas well in Poland next month in partnership with Lane Energy Poland. More at SFGate.com.

The United States Geological Survey will conduct an international study of natural gas shales. The Obama administration is soliciting other countries for participation. More at RigZone.

The development of shale gas plays in Europe could redefine the economics and politics of energy in that part of the world. An article on the BBC website explores the impact on Gazprom, the Russian energy company.

The agenda for the Shale Gas Drilling & Completions 2010 conference to be held May 26-27 is now online. The conference will “deliver key insight into applying cutting-edge drilling and completions techniques used throughout diverse shale projects in the US & Canada. Leading shale producers will share real life examples of their drilling and completions success and challenges – including experience from the Barnett, Haynesville, Horn River, Marcellus, Woodford and Fayetteville shale plays.”

Total, SA has received permits for exploratory drilling in southern France. Their goal is to test the potential for natural gas shales. More on the BusinessWeek website.

The potential for natural gas from shale in European countries has the opportunity to change the energy dynamics of the entire continent. In the past natural gas supplies have been used as political or economic weapon but now some of the countries that previously had no gas might now have their own production. More on the KyivPost.com website.

A number of major oil and gas companies met in Warsaw, Poland to discuss how gas shale technology developed in the United States might also be used in Poland. More at PolishMarket.com.