The contract with US energy giant Chevron for shale gas exploration and production in Bulgaria, which is still being negotiated, will not be made fully public because there is an element of a trade secret, said Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism in Parliament on Friday.

He gave assurances, however that talks were underway with the company for making a substantial part of the agreement available to the public.

Traikov explained that the contract would provide for the mandatory submission of a working program for the exploration activities that would be subject to all sorts of administrative checks.

The document would also provide for unlimited liability in the case of environmental damage and the obligation to cover 100% of the cost of eliminating it.

Bulgaria's Energy Minister sided with the proposal of socialist MPs that the submission of a shale gas drilling plan be made compulsory before the awarding of shale gas permits.

Traikov further explained that the current regime for granting permits did not specify the method of extraction.

He rushed to specify that this did not make it possible to drill for shale gas with the permits already issued.

He made it clear that companies were required to submit a working program setting out the method of extraction, which had to pass various environmental impact assessments before it could be approved conclusively.

Traikov emphasized that the implementation of a shale gas permit without an approved working program would constitute a violation.

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