The Coming Shale gas Revolution

What Is Shale Gas?Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich resources of petroleum and natural gas.

Why Now?

• Natural gas forms 9 percent of the total commercial energy mix in India, but demand far exceeds supply. Part of the demand in 2012–13 was made up by the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the extent of 18 bcm.

Several power plants, which were in operation, or ready for commissioning, or in an advanced state of construction, representing about 10,000 MW of generation capacity, were, however, idle for want of gas.

Conventional gas reservoirs are created when natural gas migrates from an organic-rich source formation into permeable reservoir rock, where it is trapped by an overlying layer of impermeable rock.

How Is It Different From Conventional Gas Production?

In contrast,shale gas resources form within the organic-rich shale source rock.The low permeability of the shale greatly inhibits the gas from migrating to more permeable reservoir rocks.

Any Country Producing Shale Gas?USA:The exploration and production of shale gas in the United States (US) has been a game changer, making the country self-sufficient in natural gas over the last few years.There are 34 states in the US,which have vast deposits of rocks rich in shale gas.

Production of the gas has added about 20 percent to domestic gas availability and over 20,000 wells have been drilled.

From being an importer of LNG, the country is now self-sufficient and there are plans to export gas from the very terminals that were built for imports.

Drilling And Recovery Of Shale Gas:Hydraulic Facturing:

Proposed Shale Gas Exploration Policy In India:There is an obvious interest in exploring for shale gas domestically, given the enormous success in the US. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has identified six basins as potentially shale gas bearing. These are Cambay, Assam-Arakan, Gondwana, Krishna-Godavari, Kaveri, and the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Advantages:1)Flexible Fuel, Capable Of Heating Homes, Fuelling Industrial Boilers And Providing Feedstock For The Petrochemicals Industry.2)It Is Also Making Small But Significant Progress As A Fuel For Trucks And Buses.3)Biggest Advances Have Been In Power Generation: Because It Is Cheaper To Generate Electricity From Gas, And  The Process Releases Up To 50% Less Carbon Dioxide Than Does Coal.4)Gas Power Stations Are Relatively Cheap To Build, Beating Nuclear Power Hands Down In Terms Of Capital Costs, And In Most Cases They Are Also Less Expensive Than Renewables.

Disadvantages:1)The fracturing of wells requires large amounts of water.2)If mismanaged, hydraulic fracturing fluid which may contain potentially hazardous chemicals can be released by spills, leaks, faulty well construction, or other exposure pathways. Any such releases can contaminate surrounding areas.3)Fracturing also produces large amounts of wastewater, which may contain dissolved chemicals and other contaminants that could require treatment before disposal or reuse.

 

Conclusion:While The Potential Shale Gas Reserves Overshadow Those Of Conventional Gas,we Have A Long Way To Go In Identifying Shale Gas Rich Basins And Acquiring The Necessary Technology And Experience To Extract Shale Gas. Meanwhile, The Water Situation Will Only Get Worse Due To The Reducing Availability Of Fresh Drinking Water Year By Year, Dropping Groundwater Levels, And The Increasingly Polluted Rivers And Other Water Bodies. Unless, There Is Some Revolutionary Technological Breakthrough, Which Does Not Need The Use Of Fresh Water And Chemicals, Shale Gas Exploration And Production Is Tough Task.

 

References:                                                   1)http://Www.Teriin.Org2)http://Www.Eia.Gov3)http://Www.Shaletec.Org