Can shale gas bring revolutionary new influence to traditional energy sources?

Shale gas is natural gas extracted from shale, mainly composed of methane, which is an important unconventional natural gas resource. The formation and enrichment of shale gas has its unique characteristics, which are often distributed in thick shale source rocks widely distributed in the basin. Compared with conventional natural gas, shale gas reservoir has the characteristics of self-generation and self-storage. Shale is not only a source rock, but also a reservoir, which is not controlled by structure, trap and clear gas-water interface. Shale gas is buried in a wide range, ranging from 200 meters to more than 3000 meters. Most gas-producing shales are widely distributed, thick and generally gas-bearing, which enables shale gas wells to produce gas stably for a long time and has the advantages of long production life and long production cycle.

The global shale gas resources are very rich. It is predicted that the world shale gas resources are 456 trillion cubic meters, mainly distributed in North America, Central Asia and China, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, the former Soviet Union and other regions. Similar to conventional natural gas, shale gas may have greater resource potential than conventional natural gas. The research, exploration and development of shale gas resources in the world first began in the United States. Relying on mature development and production technology and perfect pipe network facilities, the cost of shale gas in the United States is only slightly higher than that of conventional gas, which makes the United States the only country in the world to realize large-scale commercial exploitation of shale gas.

In fact, the shale gas industry is not only far from profitable, but also faces huge financial obstacles. Therefore, its prospects need to be carefully evaluated in the short term.