Gazprom and the powers that be in Russia would like an end to unconventional-gas drilling worldwide—for successful results to become fewer and for prohibition of drilling to become commonplace. While the former is yet to demonstrate probability, Gazprom is trying to affect the latter.

Gazprom deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev was quoted by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year from a London press conference as prosaically saying, “Not every housewife is aware of the environmental consequences of the use of shale gas. I don’t know who would take the risk of endangering drinking-water reservoirs...

“There are shale-gas reserves in Europe, but I honestly don’t think anybody would launch themselves into production using existing techniques. Even the French would never agree with the replacement of their drinking water with wine.”

Making Medvedev’s statements so much more laughable is that Gazprom and its fellow Russian industries are widely known for reckless environmental disasters. While examples of environmental stewardship in the country likely exist, statistically, they are relatively rare and unremarkable.

Recently, a media-relations firm based in New York submitted an op-ed piece, “The Boom In Non-Conventional Gas: An Economic Mirage Or An Economic Peril?” to Oil and Gas Investor written by a France-based scientist. The communications firm represents Gazprom.

The scientist concludes, “Even if strictly applied environmental regulations…did allow profitable exploitation of shale-gas deposits in Europe, the question of the economic rationale still remains unanswered. Conventional gas is clearly less polluting and less expensive to produce than shale gas…To develop the extraction of non-conventional gas in Europe would involve an environmental sacrifice for the sake of an industrial fantasy on the part of the oil companies, and a geostrategic mirage on that of the politicians.”

Dan Whitten, vice president, strategic communications, for U.S. gas producers’ America’s Natural Gas Alliance, says, “To the extent Gazprom has expressed concern about the European market, it seems pretty clear that they view it as some kind of a competitive threat.”

ANGA’s 34 members include U.S. companies Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Devon Energy Corp., and non-U.S.-based producers Encana Corp., BG Group, Talisman Energy Inc. and BHP Billiton. It was formed in early 2009 to represent the industry in Washington and in gas-producing communities.

This spring, Worldwatch Institute, a seriously green group, issued a report in support of natural gas. “…Natural gas could take us a big step closer to a carbon-free energy system,” says the organization’s president, Christopher Flavin, in a press release.

And, Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope is on record in a video interview with Oil and Gas Investor from early 2008 in support of drilling for natural gas in the U.S. Pope says, “Natural gas is the next-cleanest fuel (after renewables), then we have oil and then we have coal…We’re trying to make sure that we innovatively and creatively use whatever fuel we burn (and) that we rely primarily on the fuels that are the cleanest. And, among the fossil fuels, natural gas is at the top.”

ANGA’s Whitten says it is no surprise Gazprom would appear threatened by unconventional-gas production. “Hydraulic fracturing is a game-changer all over the world and it may well pose a threat to traditional gas supplies.”

Gazprom has shut off natural gas to Europe at least twice in this past decade, while in disputes with Ukraine, through which Russian gas supply travels westward. Europe’s reaction the first time was to commence a heavy effort toward procurement of reliable supply via other means, such as liquefied natural gas, and to promote development of indigenous gas resources. It had been fooled once.

The second time it lost this heating and industrial fuel, European leaders’ response was unyielding: “Shame on you.” Gazprom has been killing its customers—not a successful business model for most types of trades. That it is concerned with the world’s health and is carrying a green flag now is great comedy.