Page 24 - Fundamentals of Gas Shale Reservoirs

4 GAS SHALE: GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE, DISTRIBUTION, AND CHALLENGES

(EIA, 2011a) indicate the average EUR/well is 1.02 Bcf/ 1.3 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SHALE GAS
well. To compare this to a conventional development, the
Gorgon/Jansz­lo field is estimated to have a EUR/well of 750 There is an estimated 6600 Tcf of TRR of shale gas within
Bcf/well (Chevron, 2012). The principal reason why the the countries listed by EIA (2011b) (Table 1.1). This
develop ment of shale plays remains economically risky is compares to a global total proven gas reserve of approxi­
that the EUR/well is poorly constrained during the early mately 6000 Tcf. Shale gas therefore has the potential to
stages of field development (Weijermars, 2013). As a function be a very significant source of natural gas, and has the
of the large quantity of wells, significant infield infrastruc­ potential to greatly increase the gas resource of many
ture is required to transport gas to processing facilities. nations across the globe. This is best illustrated in

TABLE 1.1 Summary of production, consumption, reserves, and resources for various nations a
2009 natural gas market (trillion cubic feet, dry basis)
Technically recoverable shale gas
Production Consumption Imports (exports) resources (trillion cubic feet)
Europe
France 0.03 1.73 98% 180
Germany 0.51 3.27 84% 8
Netherlands 2.79 1.72 (62%) 17
Norway 3.65 0.16 (2156%) 83
United Kingdom 2.09 3.11 33% 20
Denmark 0.30 0.16 (91%) 23
Sweden – 0.04 100% 41
Poland 0.21 0.58 64% 187
Turkey 0.03 1.24 98% 15
Ukraine 0.72 1.56 54% 42
Lithuania – 0.10 100% 4
Others 0.48 0.95 50% 9
North America
United States 20.6 22.8 10% 862
Canada 5.63 3.01 (87%) 388
Mexico 1.77 2.15 18% 681
Asia
China 2.93 3.08 5% 1275
India 1.43 1.87 24% 63
Pakistan 1.36 1.36 – 51
Australia 1.67 1.09 (52%) 396
Africa
South Africa 0.07 0.19 63% 485
Libya 0.56 0.21 (165%) 290
Tunisia 0.13 0.17 26% 18
Algeria 2.88 1.02 (183%) 231
Morocco 0.00 0.02 90% 11
Western Sahara – 7
Mauritania – 0
South America
Venezuela 0.65 0.71 9% 11
Colombia 0.37 0.31 (21%) 19
Argentina 1.46 1.52 4% 774
Brazil 0.36 0.66 45% 226
Chile 0.05 0.10 52% 64
Uruguay – 0.00 100% 21
Paraguay – – – 62
Bolivia 0.45 0.10 (346%) 48
Total of above areas 53.1 55.0 (3%) 6622
Total world 106.5 106.7 0%
a Modified from EIA (2011b).