BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Hundreds of Romanians opposed to shale gas extraction in their village have scuffled with police at an exploration site where energy giant Chevron plans to start drilling.
The protesters blocked a road and made a human chain in a field where Chevron plans to its operation soon, but police intervened and cleared them from the area Wednesday.
Police spokeswoman Mihaela Straub said no arrests were made in the village of Pungesti, 155 miles (250 kilometers) northeast of Bucharest, the capital.
Local environmentalists have said pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into deep rock formations to free oil and gas could contaminate ground water supplies.
But Chevron has permits to prospect for shale gas in Pungesti, two other villages, and on Romania's Black Sea coast.
