Governance of Unconventional Gas in Bulgaria: From Exploration to Bust

The story of Bulgarian shale gas exemplifies the difficulty for the unconventional gas industry to take a hold in Europe. This paper investigates the reasons for Bulgaria banning shale gas by disentangling the various domestic causes at work. We find the failure of shale gas exploration to progress in Bulgaria is attributed to two main drivers: material factors such as the government's interest in staying in power; and process related drivers, notably a highly centralized politically controlled decision making structure and a flawed policy process.