What is shale gas?
Shale gas is natural gas found in very fine-grained sedimentary rock. The gas is tightly locked in very small spaces within the reservoir rock requiring advanced technologies to drill and fracture stimulate the gas bearing zones. The creation of fractures within the reservoir is critical in allowing the natural gas to flow to the well. Once stimulated, the shale gas reservoirs are produced in the same way as conventional gas wells. The application of these technologies has led to a rapid rise in shale gas production, especially in the United States.
