Controversies Regarding Costs, Uncertainties and Benefits Specific to Shale Gas Development

The shale gas exploration and development is now a delicate and controversial subject. It is often assumed that unconventional exploration and extraction automatically brings prosperity for local, national and regional economies. In this paper, we argue that shale gas development requires a contextualized understanding of regional issues. We are also trying to identify the opportunities and the risks of shale gas development in Eastern Europe (referring to Romania's case) and offer a cost-benefit analysis model that may be of interest to any policymakers and investors.