Study of Some Potential Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing Related to Unconventional Hydrocarbons in Hungary

Recoverable amount of the already discovered and even prospective unconventional hydrocarbons in Hungary supposedly exceeds 1,500 million tons of oil equivalent, but according to modest estimates, the 30-year perspective of the recoverable amount can reach only 100 million tons by current available technology. The unconventional hydrocarbon extraction is mostly the production of tight gas, but there is a great chance of unconventional shale gas and shale oil exploration and extraction as well. Nevertheless, in Hungary the hydraulic fracturing is a precondition for the exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbon resources.