Hans-Martin Schulz, German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Shale Gas is an unconventional gas resource. Currently, about 8-10% of the domestic gas produced in the US comes from this resource in fine-grained sediments (shale) which are thick and rich in organic matter. US agencies forecast that shale gas will account for 20 % of the gas production in the US until 2020.
Today, nearly all wells in shale gas targets are being drilled horizontally and fracture stimulated due to the low matrix permeability of shale. Increasing prices for fossil fuels and tax credits led to an intensified exploration and production of shale gas in the US. In Europe shale gas exploration is still in its infancy, but European sedimentary basins offer the potential for shale gas occurrence as thick, organic matter-rich sediments occur widely.
Even so there is little knowledge about the factors controlling shale gas generation in European basins yet, the energy companies are in a battle for exploration licences.
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