Shale gas production is a highly waterintensive process, with a typical well requiring around 5 million gallons of water to drill and fracture, depending on the basin and geological formation. Energy information administration technically recoverable shale oil and shale gas resources 4 ahead of time. When new shale gas fields in the us are constrained by the capacity of the existing oil and gas pipeline network, it results in bottlenecks and low prices at the production site. Using global isotopic data to constrain the role of shale gas. Generally, shale formations are composed of finegrained less than 0. Some of the challenges related to shale gas production and hydraulic fracturing include. The special processes significance to shale oilgas appraisal well. The main difference between tight gas and shale gas, however, is that tight gas can be found in low permeability sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones, while shale gas rocks are usually impermeable 2 royal dutch shell plc. It also presents a summary of regulations applicable to the natural gas production industry, and details the environmental considerations related to shale gas development. Jun 23, 2009 the extraction of natural gas from shale formations is no simple task and perhaps the most expensive when compared to over unconventional gases. Use this site to educate the public about the processes involved in shale gas production, the. Most critics support the production of natural gas from shale. Pdf production optimization in shale gas reservoirs. Fracking for shale gas production sachverstandigenrat.
Mar 22, 2016 wa is currently undergoing something of a shale gas revolution, in the canning basin in central eastern wa, an attractive province for shale gas exploration. Shale gas resources are becoming an important energy source for meeting rising energy demand over the next few decades. Written in an easy to read format, shale gas production processes will prove useful for those scientists and engineers already engaged in fossil fuel science and technology as well as scientists, nonscientists, engineers, and nonengineers who wish to gain a general overview or update of the science and technology of shale gas. Shale formations and silt formations are the most abundant sedimentary rocks in the earths crust. As with any drilling and extraction process shale gas extraction may bring. Legal decisions on appropriate precautions against environmental risks arising from fracking will shortly. When the pressure is released, the flowback, consisting of fracking fluid and formation water, comes. However, due to the ultralow permeability of shale gas reservoirs, special procedures such as horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, periodic well shutin, and carbon dioxide co2 injection. Higher production costs of shale oil reduce profitability when.
Unconventional hydrocarbons include shale gas, tight oil, tight gas, coalbed methane, and gas hydrates. Shale oil and gas production processes 1st edition. Purchase shale oil and gas production processes 1st edition. Development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is crucial for economic production of shale gas reservoirs, but it must be performed with caution and as a multidisciplinary approach. Climate impact of potential shale gas production in the eu. Technically recoverable shale oil and shale gas resources. Carbon isotope fractionation during shale gas transport. It is this process that forms a potential shale oil or shale gas reservoir. In the usa, the cumulative production of shale gas from 2000 to. Brief but comprehensive, shale gas production processes. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american petrochemical boom u. The gas inplace gip content and the ratio of adsorbed free gas are two key parameters for the assessment of shale gas resources and have thus received extensive attention. This paper responds to these needs by describing the importance of shale gas in meeting the future energy needs of the united states u. In reservoir engineering, shale formations are flow barriers.
Shale drilling site in pennsylvania photo helge hansen. For gasbearing shale formations the amount of free gas as well as the. The marcellus play alone accounted for nearly 15 % of the total dry gas produced in 20. Since hfw is typically characterized by elevated salinity, concerns have been raised whether the high bromide and iodide in hfw may promote the formation of disinfection byproducts dbps and alter their speciation to more toxic brominated and iodinated analogues. In terms of chemical makeup, shale gas is typically a dry gas composed primarily of methane 6095% vv, but some formations do.
Although there has been no production of shale gas for commercial use, interest from petroleum exploration companies and concerns from community groups remain. Much of the technology used in drilling and production of shale gas has been developed on this play. Composition variety complicates processing plans for us. Quantitative assessment of shale gas potential based on.
For gas generated by oil shale pyrolysis and also referred as shale gas, see oil shale gas. Carbon isotope fractionation during the methane transport process provides abundant information, serving as. Fundamentals of gas shale reservoirs wiley online books. Barnett the barnett shale formation is the grandfather of shale gas plays. This was largely due to continual advancements in drilling and producing technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, coupled. Faced with declining natural gas production, the federal government invested in many supply alternatives, including the. Based on the variation of fluid and solid in different maturity stage, we provide. The rapid decline in the early production initiates the co 2 huffnpuff process. This process converts kerogen in oil shale into shale oil by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution.
Shalegas production using hydraulic fracturing of mostly horizontal wells has led to considerable controversy over waterresource and environmental impacts. All of its shale gas production growth came from the fayetteville play. Barnett, marcellus, fayetteville, new albany, antrim, and haynesville. The following overview of the shale gas production process was based on sources cited at the. Shale gas is natural gas formed and held within shale formations. Theory, technologies, and challenges provides users with information on how shale oil and gas exploration has revolutionized todays energy industry. The dramatic shift in natural gas production can also be seen in the production across pennsylvania, with several counties topping 1 tcf of production from horizontal shale wells in just the last 3. In the midatlantic region the shale around most new gas wells has to be hydraulically fractured to release the trapped gas so that it can be brought to the surface.
See definitions, sources, and notes link above for more information on this table. A supply glut of oil has led to greatly reduced oil prices and a decline in investment in nontraditional oil fields such as shale oil. The process of fracturing the reservoir rock takes a few hours. Louisiana produced a minimal amount of shale gas in 2007, but it produced 4 bcfd in 20. The application of inherent safety is particularly important to recent developments on the transformation of shale or natural gas to produce valueadded chemicals, for example gtl martinez et al. Shale gas exploration and production key issues and responsible business practices guidance note for financiers this guidance note has been produced to assist financial institutions in their internal conversations and decisionmaking with regard to risks and responsible business practices associated with shale gas production. Components and processes impacting production success from unconventional shale resource systems daniel m. Shale gas production energy information administration. Shale gas shale oil gboe gboe poland 25 3,3 france 23 4,7 romania 9 0,3 denmark 5 0 uk 4 0,7 netherlands 4 2,9 others 9 1 total 80 12,9 country. The barnett shale formation lies around the dallasfort worth area of texas and produces gas at depths of 65009500 ft. Shale gas production data collected in conjunction with proved reserves data on form eia23 are unofficial. Shale oil and gas handbook download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl.
A variety of methods have been proposed to solve these issues, however none have gained widespread acceptance. Horizontal drilling began in the 1930s, and in 1947 a well was first fracked in the u. Recent experience with shale gas and tight oil in the united states. Production of shale gas using the socalled fracking technology is currently the subject of a heated energy and environmental policy debate. Shale gas is natural gas produced from shale formations that typically function as both the reservoir and the source rocks for the natural gas. Shale oil and gas production processes delivers the basics on current production technologies and the processing and refining of shale oil. Shale gas wells initially produce a large amount of gas the free gas in the rock but this reduces. Speight phd, dsc, in shale gas production processes, 20. Brief butacomprehensive, shale gas production processes. This increase was largely a result of the rapid development of shale resources in the lower 48 states. Havard devold oil and gas production handbook an introduction. Total production of dry natural gas in the usa increased to 24. Global shale gas production increased from about 31 billion cubic meters bcm in 2005 to about 434 bcm in 2015 18.
The disposal and leaks of hydraulic fracturing wastewater hfw to the environment pose human health risks. The drilling process itself can require more than 100,000 gallons of water, and the hydraulic fracturing fracing process can require 2. What challenges are associated with shale gas production. Composition variety complicates processing plans for us shale gas. Purchase shale gas production processes 1st edition. Components and processes impacting production success. As activity has boomed and job growth continues to increase, training in this area for new and experienced engineers is essential.
The study objective was to quantify net water use for shalegas production using data from texas, which is the dominant producer of shale gas in the u. Starting with the potential of formations and then proceeding. In this study, we calculate the energy return on investment eroi using a hybrid life. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american. Effects of aqueous solubility and geochemistry on co 2. Carbon isotope fractionation during the methane transport process provides abundant information, serving as an. Comprehensive and uptodate, fundamentals of gas shale reservoirs is an essential reference for anyone interested in gas shale reservoirs. Fracking for shale gas production 5 1 introduction 1. Starting with the potential of formations and then proceeding to production and completion, this foundational resource also dives into the chemical and physical nature of the precursor of oil.
The barnett shale formation is the more familiar of shale gas resources and grandfather of shale gas plays. Net energy analysis of gas production from the marcellus shale. Although, its popularity has grown over the years, there is much to be done to make their production and processing more costeffective. Estimate the natura l gas inplace as a combination of free gas 1 and adsorbed gas 2 that is contained within. Of the natural gas consumed in the united states in 2009, 87% was produced domestically. In addition to shale gas, other types of unconventional reservoirs include tight gas lowporosity sandstones and carbonate reservoirs and coal bed methane cbm gas produced from coal seams. Resource estimates change as extraction technologies improve, as markets evolve, and as oil and. Shale gas was first extracted as a resource in fredonia, new york, in 1821, in shallow, lowpressure fractures. The resultant shale oil is used as fuel oil or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing sulfur and nitrogen impurities shale oil extraction is usually performed. Available for free downloading from the ceps website ceps. The extraction of natural gas from shale formations is no simple task and perhaps the most expensive when compared to over unconventional gases. Currently, a weak energy market threatens production of oil and gas from the marcellus shale. It is also a must have text for students, of any discipline, studying nonconventional oil and gas resources and it is bound to become the gold standard textbook in this field.
However, some oil or natural gas will always be retained within the shale, adsorbed on to kerogen and clay particles, and filling pore spaces and natural fractures. Official shale gas production data from form eia895 can be found in natural gas gross withdrawals and production. It is a fossil fuel originating from plant, algal or other remains, and composed primarily of methane ch 4. Shale gas is the term often used to describe both tight gas and shale gas resources. Enhanced formation of disinfection byproducts in shale gas. Developing any energy resource whether conventional or nonconventional like shale carries with it the possibility and risk of environmental, public health, and safety issues. Shale gas exploration and production key issues and. Shale oil and gas production processes 1st edition elsevier.
Shale oil and gas handbook download ebook pdf, epub. In the usa, the cumulative production of shale gas from 2000 to mid2019 reached. Wa is currently undergoing something of a shale gas revolution, in the canning basin in central eastern wa, an attractive province for shale gas exploration. Natural gas production decline curve and royalty estimation. Analysis of two alternatives to produce ethylene from shale gas. S federal price controls on natural gas led to shortages in the 1970s. Because shale is not permeable enough to allow the gas to flow to a well bore as is the case for conventional gas extraction, shale gas is extracted by other means, and is referred to as an unconventional resource. As of 20, the us, canada, and china are the only countries producing shale gas in commercial quantities. Higher production costs of shale oil reduce profitability when compared to cheaper drilling in the middle east. It also presents a summary of regulations applicable to the natural gas production. International developments in the field of unconventional gas and. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy position of the european commission. Using global isotopic data to constrain the role of shale. The hydraulic fracturing process was used in conventional limestone and sandstone.
A guide to shale gas energy knowledge energy institute. The conventional wells remained consistent with 56,000 conventional wells reporting more approximately 190 bcf of natural gas production. Starting with the potential of formations and then proceeding to production and completion, this foundational resource also dives into the chemical and physical nature of the precursor of oil shale, kerogen, to help users understand and optimize its. Representafion of common equipment at a natural gas hydraulic fracturing drill pad.
431 502 1177 776 458 834 1223 1372 397 1371 218 1538 787 461 1123 1055 481 127 125 210 1019 1343 386 1481 576 1204 794 1115 395