Direct Action Gets the Goods: Chevron Suspends in Romania

31 8th Decem­ber 

Chevron has sus­pend­ed explo­ration for shale gas in north­east­ern Roma­nia after hun­dreds of anti-frack­ing pro­test­ers tore down fences.

31 8th Decem­ber 

Chevron has sus­pend­ed explo­ration for shale gas in north­east­ern Roma­nia after hun­dreds of anti-frack­ing pro­test­ers tore down fences.

Chevron won approval to drill explorato­ry wells in the town of Pungesti, but halt­ed work for a sec­ond time Sat­ur­day after res­i­dents blocked access to the site.

Hun­dreds of riot police couldn’t pre­vent res­i­dents from demol­ish­ing fences and break­ing into the site. Dozens were detained and 14 were charged with destruc­tion of prop­er­ty and car­ry­ing knives.

Chevron said it had sus­pend­ed work “as a result of unsafe con­di­tions” and informed police of destruc­tion to its prop­er­ty.

Thou­sands of peo­ple have ral­lied across Roma­nia in recent months to protest against gov­ern­ment sup­port for shale gas explo­ration. Chevron had resumed work at the site on Dec. 2.