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EASAC ExecSummary Statement ShaleGas Extraction Combined
EASAC ExecSummary Statement ShaleGas Extraction Combined
ea sac
EASAC
EASAC the European Academies Science Advisory Council is formed by the national science academies
of the EU Member States to enable them to collaborate with each other in providing advice to European
policy-makers. It thus provides a means for the collective voice of European science to be heard. EASAC
was founded in 2001 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Its mission reflects the view of academies that science is central to many aspects of modern life and that
an appreciation of the scientific dimension is a pre-requisite to wise policy-making. This view already
underpins the work of many academies at national level. With the growing importance of the European
Union as an arena for policy, academies recognise that the scope of their advisory functions needs to
extend beyond the national to cover also the European level. Here it is often the case that a trans-European
grouping can be more effective than a body from a single country. The academies of Europe have therefore
formed EASAC so that they can speak with a common voice with the goal of building science into policy at
EU level.
Through EASAC, the academies work together to provide independent, expert, evidence-based advice
about the scientific aspects of public policy to those who make or influence policy within the European
institutions. Drawing on the memberships and networks of the academies, EASAC accesses the best of
European science in carrying out its work. Its views are vigorously independent of commercial or political
bias, and it is open and transparent in its processes. EASAC aims to deliver advice that is comprehensible,
relevant and timely.
For more information about EASAC and for copies of all our previous publications, please visit our website
www.easac.eu.
EASAC Secretariat
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina
German National Academy of Sciences
Jgerberg 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
Tel: +49 (0)345 4723 9833; fax: +49 (0)345 4723 9839
Email: secretariat@easac.eu
statement
ea sac
European Academies
Science Advisory
Council
Gas extracted from shale deposits through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture provides more
than 40% of US natural gas supply and is projected by the US Energy Information Administration to be
the dominant source of domestic gas for the foreseeable future (EIA 2014). Other unconventional gas
production in the USA (including coal bed methane and tight sediments) requires similar stimulation
methods so that total unconventional production requiring hydraulic fracturing is above 50% of total
US gas demand.
2
Although media coverage often uses the term fracking, this is shorthand for the term
unconventional gas extraction, which requires hydraulic fracturing to inject fluids into geological
formations to create and expand fissures, allowing the enclosed gas to be released and flow out of the
formation into the well bore.
Governance Council 2013; Council of Canadian Academies 2014). The most recent
of these incorporate data available up to the end of 2013. However, much of the
data and assessments are based on experience and evaluations outside the EU area.
This EASAC statement therefore focuses on three particular aspects that may require
special attention from a European perspective in seeking to harvest the economic
potential of shale gas reserves in the EU:
1. While some shale gas areas in the USA (e.g. Pennsylvania) have comparable
population densities to Europe, most of the areas studied to date in the USA,
Canada and Australia have much lower densities. Issues related to population
density may therefore be more significant in EU countries.
2. Since the EU has the worlds most comprehensive and legally binding greenhouse
gas (GHG) reduction and climate change mitigation policies, potential effects
of shale gas exploitation on meeting Europes climate change targets are an
important consideration, both for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane emissions.
3. The EU public has already shown considerable sensitivity to the issue of fracking,
so effects on the public and on their communities are also critical issues.
This EASAC statement thus considers factors related to these three issues. It draws
on the reviews and assessments cited above, peer-reviewed literature since late
2013 and consultation with experts from EASAC member academies (Annex 1).
The Lithuanian analysis (Lithuanian Academy of Sciences 2014) also identified barriers to exploitation as the limited information from
exploratory drilling; the high population density and lack of available land; past experience of low reclamation rates and the sensitivity of
public opinion; and incomplete regulation on environmental, safety and health issues.
Figure 1 Unconventional gas resources in Europe (source: International Energy Agency 2012).
Figure 2 Innovation in well design and operation (source: Range Resources Ltd.). Left: old single well spacing
(Texas); right: modern multi-well cluster configuration accessing gas from an area of up to 10km2 (Pennsylvania).
the energy use and methane leakage associated
with the transport of gas to Europe over long
distances (up to 4000km) from Siberia and Algeria
is reduced.4
Such advantages were also emphasised in a recent UK Parliamentary Assessment of the potential for shale gas (House of Lords Economic
Affairs Committee 2014).
5
For example, for a medium-sized city such as Zurich, virtually all of any gas under the city could be accessed from a single central
location.
To ensure final sealing of the well, it may be necessary to remove at a selected depth the casing and cementation of the well over
a limited length, and replace it with a plug of clay and cement which will provide a stable corrosion-resistant plug to ensure long-term
tightness of the seal.
8
Groundwater in many areas contains substantial levels of natural methane (for example, of 22 geothermal wells drilled in recent years in
Holland, 20 have intercepted strata that contained groundwater with substantial natural amounts of methane, requiring the installation of
gas separators).
The EU is committed to transforming Europe into a highly energy-efficient, low-carbon economy. For 2020, the objective is to cut GHG
emissions to 20% below 1990 levels; for 2050, the objective is to reduce by 8095% compared with 1990 levels.
10
Global warming potential expresses how much a greenhouse gas traps heat in the atmosphere relative to CO2 (assumed to be 1).
11
Methane is also released by coal mining (coal bed methane) and its handling varies between countries. In China, for example, methane
is released to the atmosphere; in Germany it is collected and used for heating.
12
Well integrity is also an issue for groundwater protection since while the fracking itself generally takes place below the groundwater
reservoir, well casing failure closer to the surface can result in groundwater pollution.
13
Monitoring the tightness of the annulus (the space between casingcasing or casingrock) can be achieved through several (mostly
indirect) indicators: e.g. cement bond logging after cementing, pressure testing before fracking or production starts, monitoring annulus
pressure and temperature, gas sampling for gas quality and source.
A final comment
Current concerns over heavy reliance on imports of
gas from Russia have increased further the attraction
of indigenous supplies of shale gas to limit import
dependence and contribute to energy security. This
EASAC analysis provides no basis for a ban on shale
gas exploration or extraction using hydraulic fracturing
on scientific and technical grounds, although EASAC
supports calls for effective regulations in the health,
safety and environment fields highlighted by other
science and engineering academies and in this
statement. In particular, EASAC notes that many
of the conflicts with communities and land use
encountered in earlier drilling and hydraulic fracturing
operations based on many single-hole wells have been
substantially reduced by more modern technologies
based on multiple well pads, which can drain up to
10km2 or more of gas-bearing shale from a single pad.
Other best practices, such as recycling of flow-back
fluid and replacement of potentially harmful additives,
have greatly reduced the environmental footprint of
fracking. Europes regulatory systems and experience
of conventional gas extraction already provide an
appropriate framework for minimising disturbance
and impacts on health, safety and the environment.
This analysis, however, also shows that while shale gas
may have significant global potential, it is no simple
silver bullet to address energy security and climate
change. Indeed, the scale of the resource itself and
the economic viability of its extractions in different
Member States remain uncertain. Without exploratory
drilling, this uncertainty will continue.
14
References
Acadmie des sciences (2012). La recherche
scientifique face aux dfis de lnergie; Rapport du
Comit de prospective en nergie de lAcadmie
des sciences Ed. EDP Sciences December, 2012.
(see also Institut de France Acadmie des Sciences
(2013). Elements to clarify the shale gas debate Avis de lAcadmie sciences, 15 November 2013.
http://www.academie-sciences.fr/activite/rapport/
avis151113gb.pdf. Also IFPEN-INERIS-BRGM (2011).
Matrise des impacts et risques lis lexploitation
des hydrocarbures de roche-mre: enjeux, verrous
et pistes de recherche.
Allen DT, et al. (2013). Measurements of methane
emissions at natural gas production sites in the
United States. Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences of the United States of America 110,
1776817773. http://www.pnas.org/content/
early/2013/09/10/1304880110.full.pdf+html
Andrews IJ (2013). The Carboniferous Bowland
Shale gas study: geology and resource estimation.
British Geological Survey for Department of Energy
and Climate Change, London, UK. https://www.
gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/226874/BGS_DECC_
BowlandShaleGasReport_MAIN_REPORT.pdf
Australian Council of Learned Academies (2013).
Engineering energy a study of shale gas in
Companies using best practice already give open access to all substances used and have found ways to eliminate potentially toxic
additives.
Australia. http://mei.insights4.net.au/files/site1/
docs/41/Peter%20Cook_Unconventional%20
Gas_02.07.13_0.pdf
Barcella ML, Gross S, Rajan S (2011). Mismeasuring
methane estimating greenhouse gas emissions
from upstream natural gas development. IHS-CERA
private report
Brandt A, et al. (2014). Methane leaks from North
American natural gas systems. Science 343,
733735
Caulton, D. et al. (2014). Toward a better
understanding and quantification of methane
emissions from shale gas development. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America 111, 62376242
Council of Canadian Academies (2014). Harnessing
science and technology to understand the
environmental impacts of shale gas extraction.
http://www.scienceadvice.ca/uploads/eng/
assessments%20and%20publications%20and
%20news%20releases/shale%20gas/
shalegas_fullreporten.pdf
EIA (2013). Technically re-coverable shale oil and
shale gas resources: an assessment of 137 Shale
formations in 41 countries outside the United
States. http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/
worldshalegas/pdf/fullreport.pdf
EIA (2014). Annual energy outlook, 2014. http://www.
eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/pdf/0383(2014).pdf
European Commission (2014). European Commission
Recommendation of 22January 2014 on minimum
principles for the exploration and production
of hydrocarbons (such as shale gas) using highvolume hydraulic fracturing. http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/integration/energy/unconventional_
en.htm
German Academy of Science and Engineering
(acatech) (2014). Hydraulic Fracturing - a
technology under discussion. http://shalegaseurope.eu/hydraulic-fracturing-eine-technologieder-diskussion/ (see also Hydrofracking Risk
Assessment by C. Ewen, D. Borchardt, S. Richter,
R. Hammerbacher (2012)). http://dialogerdgasundfrac.de/sites/dialog-erdgasundfrac.de/
files/Ex_HydrofrackingRiskAssessment_120611.pdf.
Heath A, et al. (2014). Harmonization of initial
estimates of shale gas life cycle greenhouse
gas emissions for electric power generation.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of
the United States of America 111, E3167E3176;
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1309334111
EASAC
EASAC the European Academies Science Advisory Council is formed by the national science academies
of the EU Member States to enable them to collaborate with each other in providing advice to European
policy-makers. It thus provides a means for the collective voice of European science to be heard. EASAC was
founded in 2001 at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Its mission reflects the view of academies that science is central to many aspects of modern life and that an
appreciation of the scientific dimension is a pre-requisite to wise policy-making. This view already underpins
the work of many academies at national level. With the growing importance of the European Union as an
arena for policy, academies recognise that the scope of their advisory functions needs to extend beyond the
national to cover also the European level. Here it is often the case that a trans-European grouping can be
more effective than a body from a single country. The academies of Europe have therefore formed EASAC so
that they can speak with a common voice with the goal of building science into policy at EU level.
Through EASAC, the academies work together to provide independent, expert, evidence-based advice about
the scientific aspects of public policy to those who make or influence policy within the European institutions.
Drawing on the memberships and networks of the academies, EASAC accesses the best of European science
in carrying out its work. Its views are vigorously independent of commercial or political bias, and it is open
and transparent in its processes. EASAC aims to deliver advice that is comprehensible, relevant and timely.
EASAC covers all scientific and technical disciplines, and its experts are drawn from all the countries of the
European Union. It is funded by the member academies and by contracts with interested bodies. The expert
members of EASACs working groups give their time free of charge. EASAC has no commercial or business
sponsors.
EASACs activities include substantive studies of the scientific aspects of policy issues, reviews and advice
about specific policy documents, workshops aimed at identifying current scientific thinking about major
policy issues or at briefing policy-makers, and short, timely statements on topical subjects.
The EASAC Council has 29 individual members highly experienced scientists nominated one each by
the national science academies of EU Member States, by the Academia Europaea and by ALLEA. The
national science academies of Norway and Switzerland are also represented. The Council is supported by a
professional Secretariat based at the Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences, in Halle (Saale)
and by a Brussels Office at the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium. The Council agrees
the initiation of projects, appoints members of working groups, reviews drafts and approves reports for
publication.
For more information about EASAC and for copies of all our previous publications, please visit our website
www.easac.eu.
EASAC, the European Academies Science Advisory Council, consists of representatives of the following
European national academies and academic bodies who have issued this statement:
Academia Europaea
All European Academies (ALLEA)
The Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
The Estonian Academy of Sciences
The Council of Finnish Academies
The Acadmie des sciences
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
The Academy of Athens
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Royal Irish Academy
The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei
The Latvian Academy of Sciences
The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences
The Academy of Sciences of Lisbon
The Romanian Academy
The Slovakian Academy of Sciences
The Slovenian Academy of Arts and Science
The Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Society
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
EASAC Secretariat
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina
German National Academy of Sciences
Jgerberg 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
Tel: +49 (0)345 4723 9833; fax: +49 (0)345 4723 9839
Email: secretariat@easac.eu
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