"Today I told them - and their (Chevron's) representatives agree - that no exploration or production can be done at the expense of people or the environment. The goal was set - if they can dispel the doubts of politicians and the public that no damage will be done to the people who live there and to nature," he told reporters.
The prime minister said that the government will not block shale gas exploration if it is proved that there will be no harm to the public or the environment.
Butkevičius said that Chevron wants to begin exploring for shale gas in April.
"They want to start as soon as April," he said.
Jay Johnson, the president for Chevron Eurasia, Europe and Middle East Exploration and Production, said after meeting with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė earlier in the day that the group will cooperate with local communities and the country's government.
