Murphy Invites Ukraine Delegation to PA, Discusses Shale Gas Exploration

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Upper St. Clair) Monday hosted a welcome reception for a delegation of Ukrainian dignitaries and elected officials in Carnegie. 

Sergey Klyuiev, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and head of Ukraine’s Parliamentary Committee for Relations with the U.S., along with parliamentarians, ministers, and public officials, joined Murphy and Carnegie Mayor Jack Kobistek for a welcome reception featuring food, discussion and traditional Ukrainian folk dancing at the St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Mansfield Boulevard.

Klyuiev and other Ukrainian leaders traveled to the region at the invitation of Murphy on a fact-finding mission to learn more about environmentally responsible shale gas exploration in southwestern Pennsylvania. Ukraine recently signed a $10 billion production agreement with Shell, and has completed negotiations with Chevron on a second shale gas project. The deals are especially critical for Ukraine and Europe, which have sought to reduce their dependence on foreign sources of energy. 

Murphy, a founder of the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus, participated in meetings earlier Monday with local business groups, environmental organizations, and the delegation, including a roundtable discussion with members of the Marcellus Shale Chamber, a division of the Southpointe Chamber of Commerce devoted to shale-gas exploration and economic development issues.

“Ukraine is a country of rich cultural heritage that has also been blessed with vast shale resources,” Murphy stated. “Now the question is how our Ukrainian friends can develop these resources safely and responsibly in order to reduce their dependence on foreign energy providers. I am happy to welcome Mr. Klyuiev and the rest of the Ukrainian delegation as we work to develop solutions to the global energy imbalance and further strengthen the US-Ukraine partnership.”

Klyuiev and the 10-member Ukrainian delegation learned more about the environmental and economic benefits of natural gas, including the fossil fuel’s lower emissions and affordable cost. They also plan to travel to Washington, D.C. and return to Ukraine later in the week.

“The first time we were here in the beginning of May, and then we agreed with (Murphy) to meet in his district to learn about shale gas. The key point why we arrived here was to learn about technology, about environmental problems,” Klyuiev stated.