Shale gas has been produced for years from shales with natural fractures; the shale gas boom in recent years has been due to modern technology in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to create extensive artificial fractures around well bores.

Shale gas in the United States is an available source of unconventional natural gas. Led by new applications of hydraulic fracturing technology and horizontal drilling, development of new sources of shale gas has offset declines in production from conventional gas reservoirs, and has led to major increases in reserves of U.S. natural gas.

The natural gas is trapped in low-permeability shale, and requires the well completion method of hydraulic fracturing to allow the gas to flow to the well bore. The surge in drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale since 2008 has generated both economic benefits and considerable controversy.

Producible portions of shale gas formations are located many thousands of feet below the surface, well below groundwater aquifers. Modern hydraulic fracturing technology involves sophisticated engineering processes designed to create distinct fracture networks in …

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock, with smaller spaces or pores containing gas, and these spaces are relatively unconnected to each other. Therefore natural gas does not flow easily through shale.

Mar 1, 2022 · Aging US Shale Wells: Years of Remaining Opportunities or Growing Asset Retirement Obligations? The principles behind unconventional wells lead to production profiles very different from conventional wells. High initial-production rates drop to much lower rates in a matter of months or a few years.

Low-yield natural gas wells have been drilled in the Marcellus Shale for more than 50 years, but recent technological advancements in deep horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing techniques have exposed the possibility of more profitably tapping the shale for gas.

Aug 31, 2020 · The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems.

Aug 16, 2023 · Production from the average US shale oil well is declining more rapidly every year, with the biggest losses by far in the Delaware Basin, according to a report from Enverus.

Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. Over the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed access to large volumes of shale gas that were previously uneconomical to produce.