Natural gas

Unconventional
Found in certain types of shale rock
200 1000 metre deep
Low permeability
Prevalent in the area

95.5% Methane, 2.5% Ethane, 0.2%

Propane.
Large Domestic Source of energy

Three factors that have created the

unconventional natural gas industry.

Directional Drilling
Hydraulic Fracturing
High well prices

Shale Gas
Deposited over
350 Million years
ago.

USGS

Shale Gas
1.Leasing land
2.Exploration
3.Drilling
Hydraulic fracturing
Horizontal drilling

4.Collecting
5.Restoration

Most critics support the production of natural gas

from Shale Gas.
analysts expect shale gas will greatly expand
worldwide energy supply
Unconventional gas production is expected to
rise from 42% in 2007 to 64% in 2013
There is enough shale to support future needs
for 100 years

 However, not everyone agrees with natural gas

production from Shale gas.
Water agencies and citizens around shale regions are
concerned about: availability of water supplies needed for gas
production waste water disposal

There are cases of benzene contamination in well water

Critics believe hydraulic fracturing allows chemicals to
leak into the groundwater

Global Distribution of Shale gas

Global Distribution of Shale gas

1.

China

2.

Argentina

3.

Algeria

4.

United States

5.

Canada

6.

Mexico

7.

Australia

8.

South Africa

9.

Russia

10. Brazil

With current technology only about 10% of shale gas is recoverable

 Pollution of Groundwater
Wildlife Impacts
Community Impacts
Surface Disturbances ( earthquake )

Chemicals are added to water to aide in

fracturing the rock
This adds to the amount of contaminated ground water

Water is stored in above ground ponds until it

can be removed or injected back into the earth
for Hydraulic fracturing.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

In using this technique researchers are trying to find a
way to cut down on water pollution

It takes 2 million to 4 million gallons of water to

drill and fracture a horizontal shale gas well

New Techniques are developing

Researchers want this water to be clean enough to be
used for other purposes as well
This way shale-gas associated water can be
considered a resource of its own

Gas development can

adversely affect animal
habitat and wildlife.
They can drill
underneath sensitive
areas like wetlands to
reduce wildlife
disturbances.

There are certain Community issues that can

arise
Damage to roads - Traffic congestion
Noise
Dust

It takes intense planning to ensure that these

factors have the smallest impact possible

 Vertical wells can require

up to 40 acres per well
Horizontal wells take up
much less space and are
more efficient.

Natural Gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels

Can reduce the emissions of pollutants into the
atmosphere

The main products of natural gas combustion are

carbon dioxide and water vapor
Carbon dioxide is a less potent pollutant

 Natural gas does not

contribute much to smog
Emits low levels of nitrous
oxide and almost no
particulate matter

Can be used to fuel

vehicles
Cut down on the emissions
from gasoline and diesel.

PRO
Means more jobs
Less pollution
There is money to be had
May cause lower prices for fuel
in the future

CON
There are many development
issues when it comes to shale
gas
People dont necessarily want
their land dug up
Wildlife advocates worry about
the disturbance of habitats

PRO
Greater energy security
More money to be had by local
and state governments
Allows for less dependence on
foreign oil
Shale Gas can be developed in
America

CON
In developing a shale gas there
are a lot of factors that need
to be taken into consideration.
There is an abundance of
paperwork a contractor needs
to go through to get the
approval to harvest shale gas.

Significance of shale gas as alternative

source of energy worldwide
Increasing oil/gas price
Declining conventional oil/gas reserves necessitate unconventional reserves
supplementation to meet demand- supply gap
Big discoveries of shale gas in the United States
Large untapped resource of Shale Gas available
Earlier shale gas wells drilled vertical and non-profitable due to very less permeability
& producibility
Introduction of improved modern technologies viz. Horizontal Drilling & Hydro
Fracture

 Although shale gas is one of

the fastest growing trends in
onshore oil and gas
exploration there is still a
long way to go!
Better, more efficient
technology needs to be
obtained.
Each gas shale basins is
different and each has a
unique set operational
challenges.

Probable Shale Gas

exploration
in India

Indian Scenario

Prospective Shale gas deposits in India

Huge shale deposits in basins of Gondwana, Cambay, Assam-Arakan, Krishna
Godavari, Cauvery, Rajasthan:
Damodar valley - in the Gondwana basins.
Cambay shales - in Gujarat.
Krishna Godavari Basin
in Assam-Arakan Basin - Disang, Kopili, Disang & Barail Coal Shale in Assam
Bokabil & Bhuban Shales in Tripura
Cauvery Basins
Rajasthan - in Jaisalmer basin).

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

Shale Gas exploitation is no longer uneconomic - improved technology.

Demand and preference for clean form of gas has made Shale Gas, a well
sought after energy.
Reserve accretion, production & development world over is rapidly
increasing.
India also has development of prolific matured shale distributed in different
sedimentary basins e.g. Damodar Valley, Cambay, Assam-Arakan, KrishnaGodavari, Cauvery and Rajasthan.
Vast shale deposits with high TOC and maturity value in the above mentioned
sedimentary basins with available improved modern technologies can make
India a top player of Shale Gas.