Petroleum Engineers Association

What is Shale Gas?

Shale gas is an unconventional resource
considered a variety of natural gas. It is located
among the fine-grained sedimentary rocks that
are present under the earth's crust and is
extracted from deep areas where rocks such
as clay, shale, shale and bituminous slates
abound. Although it is a non-conventional
gaseous hydrocarbon, it has the same
qualities as natural gas and its applications in
the market are exactly the same.

Figure 1 Conventional and Unconventional Resources Description and Location.

Production of Shale Gas

Shale gas extraction implies the use of more resources
for its extraction. For this reason, it considered more
complex and expensive than conventional natural gas.
This phase of hydrocarbon is trapped between layers of
low permeability rocks and to extract it is necessary to
increase the permeability of these layers. To achieve
this, a technique called "Fracking" is used to create
fractures into the reservoir and improve permeability,
this technique consists of cracking the rocks
hydraulically. Hydraulic fracturing process requires a
path of numerous wells drilled in the ground to be
exploited and high volumes of water, sand (propellants)
and special high-viscosity substances are injected
through them to cause the formation of fractures in the
rocks and thus increase their permeability. The pressure
with which these materials are introduced usually
generates breaks in the rocky planes that could be up to
1500 [ft] and it is necessary to inject high volumes of
Figure 2 Fracking Illustration which Shows Fractures Generated to Improve
Shale Rock Permeability.
these substances into each open well. At the end of the
procedure, most of the fluids used are recovered to the
surface in the first stage of production, this produced
water must be treated in order to be recycled which means that it is going to be employed again depending of its
characteristics or disposed.
Shale Gas Gaining International Interest
The United States has become one of the largest producers of shale gas in the world. Nearly 3,000 new wells are drilled
on US soil each year to extract this energy resource. The states of Texas, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York
concentrate the largest shale gas farms in the entire country. But not all shale gas is concentrated in North America, in
other places on the planet such as Brazil, Argentina, Australia, India, China, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Argelia,
Norway or Poland there are also important deposits of this unconventional gas.
Since 1998, shale gas has been the fastest-growing element of total primary energy in the United States. Today it is one
of the main energy sources in the country and is gaining more followers worldwide.
 Petroleum Engineers Association

The exploitation of shale gas has become the perfect alternative to the almost non-existent conventional deposits that
remain in the U.S.A. and has caused the gas reserves to rise by 40% in just four years. Americans have specialized in
obtaining this unconventional gas, have reduced extraction costs as much as possible, and have accumulated reserves
to supply themselves for the next 100 years. All this has benefited the country's economy, which no longer needs to bring
natural gas from other parts of the planet.
This is a new industrial revolution that will lower the cost of gas, it also will allow the United States to compete with other
producers in the Middle East and Asia in the medium and long term. It is expected that this country will become a
superpower in the manufacture of petrochemical products made from this type of gas and that its current dependence on
oil from other countries will be totally or partially eliminated.
Applications of Shale Gas
As mentioned above, shale gas has the same
characteristics and utilities as conventional natural gas.
Most of the shale gas is used to make fuels, generate
electricity, and for industrial and domestic use.
Although this hydrocarbon can be used in countless
processes, each country should focus on giving it the
use that best suits its needs. In this matter, many believe
that the shale gas should be processed by
petrochemical plants that are responsible for the
manufacture of petrochemicals. The petrochemical
industry is in full growth and development, investing in Figure 3 Petrochemical Processing of Shale Gas Add Value to the Derivates
the research and creation of petrochemical products that
can bring great benefits.
Reference
Waldo, D. (2012). A Review of Three North American Shale Plays: Learnings from Shale Gas Exploration in the Americas.
Search and Discovery Article, 80214, 25.
Inman, M. (2014). Natural gas: The fracking fallacy. Nature News, 516(7529), 28.
YPF. EL DESAFÍO ENERGÉTICO DE LA ARGENTINA. PETRÓLEO Y GAS NO CONVENCIONALES.
https://www.ypf.com/EnergiaYPF/Paginas/img/pdf/Camino_al_auto_abastecimiento.pdf
Sieminski, A. (2014). Outlook for US shale oil and gas. USEI Administration (ed) Argus Americas Crude Summit, Houston.
Veil, J. A. (2010). Water management technologies used by Marcellus Shale Gas Producers (No. ANL/EVS/R-10/3).
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States).