SHALE GAS

DEFINITION

Shale is a compressed fine-grained type of sedimentary rock. It was formed from mud silt, clay, and
organic matter.

Shale gas is natural gas trapped within tiny pore spaces in shale formations. It is a hydrocarbon gas
mixture. It consists mainly of methane. Other hydrocarbons are natural gas liquids (NGLs) like
ethane, propane, and butane, and it also contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.
 FACTS

• In 2015, the total amount of unproved technically recoverable reserves of shale

gas was estimated at 214.6 trillion cubic metres (tcm), across 46 countries.
• The largest estimated resources are in China (31.6 tcm), followed by Argentina
(22.7 tcm), Algeria (20 tcm), the United States (17.6 tcm) and Canada (16.2
tcm). In Europe the largest estimated reserves lie in Poland (4.1 tcm) and
France (3.9 tcm)

• Shale gas is expected to account for 30 per cent of world natural gas
production by 2040.
 HOW IS SHALE GAS EXTRACTED THROUGH
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (‘FRACKING’)?

• Hydraulic fracturing – commonly known as

fracking – is the process used to extract shale
gas. Deep holes are drilled down into the
shale rock, followed by horizontal drilling to
access more of the gas reserves, as shale
reserves are typically distributed horizontally
rather than vertically. Fracking fluids
containing sand, water and chemicals are then
pumped at high pressure into the drilled
holes, to open up fractures in the rock,
enabling the trapped gas to flow through the
fractures into collection wells. From there it is
piped away for commercial use. Recovery
rates for shale gas are much lower than for
conventional gas.
 WHAT TO DO WITH SHALE GAS?
• Cracking means to separate the large hydrocarbon
chains of fossil fuels like natural gas and petroleum.

Naphtha is related to the price of oil, which is set

by global supply and demand. The natural gas prices
are regional.
Ethylene is the most widely used organic
compound in chemical industry.
In the USA, over 85 % of ethylene is derived from
natural gas. In Western Europe, over 70 % is
derived from naphtha and other light distillated oil-
based products.
Therefore, the shift toward more and lower-cost
natural gas has benefitted the chemical industry in
the USA.
Here, it currently costs $ 300 to produce 1 ton of
ethylene. In Asia it costs $ 1,717 and in Saudi
Arabia $ 455
 CONCERNS

• Among the environmental concerns are that enormous amounts of water are used and the water is
contaminated by the layers of earth it is pumped through as well as the fracking chemicals.
The cement to protect the ground water can get leaky with time, especially if acid water is used.
Radon and mercury are gases which can leak out from the shale formation. Other subsurface materials
like lead or arsenic may be mobilized.
It cannot be excluded that fractures in rock formations grow in higher rock/soil formations or up to
the surface.
Small earthquakes, so called induced seismicity, might result from changing the balance of forces in the
rock formations.
There also are the concerns regarding energy politics, fearing that the hype can change the
understanding that shale gas is a transition and not a replacement fuel.
Also methane, which is the main component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. It is poorly
understood what impact increasing shale gas industry has on the climate.
 CAN FRACKING CAUSE EARTHQUAKES?

• Can fracking cause earthquakes?

• An independent assessment in 2011 concluded that shale gas extraction where large quantities of
water are pumped under the surface could in principle cause small earthquakes under certain
conditions, but that these were unlikely to lead to damage. The report noted that the risk of seismic
activity was greater where pre-stressed faults existed – identified as having occurred at the Preese
Hall site in Lancashire, UK – and so recommended ongoing mapping of faults to identify potentially
high-risk sites to avoid.
 THE POTENTIAL OF SHALE GAS IN
TURKEY
The existing shale gas potential of Turkey, though not abundant, can
still decrease the country's natural gas dependency, which is
approximately 99 per cent.
But how about the cost-benefit analyses? The production of shale gas
in Turkey does not profitable in the short-term.

However, the Minister of

Energy and Natural Resources
Berat Albayrak stated that in
the long run, in order to
reduce dependency on energy
import, the shale gas potential
should also be considered
together with other domestic
resources.