The shale gas revolution: Barriers, sustainability, and emerging opportunities

Middleton, Richard S.; Gupta, Rajan; Hyman, Jeffrey D.; Viswanathan, Hari S.

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.04.034

Title: The shale gas revolution: Barriers, sustainability, and emerging opportunities

Journal Article · Tue May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Applied Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.04.034· OSTI ID:1355941

Middleton, Richard S.; Gupta, Rajan; Hyman, Jeffrey D.; Viswanathan, Hari S.

Shale gas and hydraulic refracturing has revolutionized the US energy sector in terms of prices, consumption, and CO₂ emissions. However, key questions remain including environmental concerns and extraction efficiencies that are leveling off. For the first time, we identify key discoveries, lessons learned, and recommendations from this shale gas revolution through extensive data mining and analysis of 23 years of production from 20,000 wells. Discoveries include identification of a learning-by-doing process where disruptive technology innovation led to a doubling in shale gas extraction, how refracturing with emerging technologies can transform existing wells, and how overall shale gas production is actually dominated by long-term tail production rather than the high-profile initial exponentially-declining production in the first 12 months. We hypothesize that tail production can be manipulated, through better fracturing techniques and alternative working fluids such as CO₂, to increase shale gas recovery and minimize environmental impacts such as through carbon sequestration.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

OSTI ID:: 1355941

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1357142

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-17-23647; S0306261917304312; PII: S0306261917304312

Journal Information:: Applied Energy, Journal Name: Applied Energy Vol. 199 Journal Issue: C; ISSN 0306-2619

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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Cited by: 205 works

Citation information provided by
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