Energy Institute guide explains UK shale gas

Aug. 5, 2015
The Energy Institute (EI), London, has published a 20-page guide to shale gas, aiming, it says, “to bring scientific and technical accuracy to the debate” over development of natural gas from shales in the UK.

The Energy Institute (EI), London, has published a 20-page guide to shale gas, aiming, it says, “to bring scientific and technical accuracy to the debate” over development of natural gas from shales in the UK.

The industry group notes that the UK government has indicated support for development of shale gas but that applications for hydraulic fracturing “have been rejected by local councils (OGJ Online, July 19, 2013).”

The guide covers technological, environmental, and legal aspects of shale-gas development.

“It has been developed from an extensive review and analysis of existing literature and contributions by over 75 subject specialists, including professionally qualified EI fellows and members from relevant backgrounds and experience,” the institute says. “It has been subject to a robust peer review process prior to publication.”

The guide reports resource assessments by the British Geological Survey, commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, of UK shale gas and oil potential.

According to the first study in that series, the Carboniferous Bowland-Hodder shales in central Britain might contain 822-2,281 tcf of gas in place.

Jurassic shales in the Weald basin of southeastern England, covered in a separate assessment, have oil potential estimated at 2.2-8.57 billion bbl in place and limited gas potential.

In the Midland Valley of Scotland, covered in a third study, resources of Carboniferous shales are estimated at 49.4-134.6 tcf of gas and 3.2-11.2 billion bbl of oil in place.