How is shale gas extracted?
Hydraulic fracturing – commonly known as fracking – is the process used to extract shale gas. Fracking fluids containing sand, water and chemicals are then pumped at high pressure into the drilled holes, to open up fractures in the rock, enabling the trapped gas to flow through the fractures into collection wells.
Which crop is used for the extraction of shale gas?
guar gum
The source of that new prosperity was a processed powder called guar gum, which is used in fracking, a method of extracting shale gas that involves pumping pressurised gas into the ground. Guar gum is derived from a crop called guar. India is the world’s largest producer of guar.
Who is the largest producer of shale gas?
The United States
First, The United States is by far the most dominant producer of both shale gas and tight oil. Canada is the only country of both shale gas and tight oil producer. On the other hand, China is the only other country to produce only shale gas. On the other hand, Argentina is the only other country to produce shale oil.
How is the shale rock initially fractured?
If shale has high contents of quartz, feldspar and carbonate, it will have low Poisson’s ratio, high Young’s modulus and high brittleness. As a result, the shale will develop natural and induced fractures under external forces.
Which country has most shale gas reserves?
Russia
Russia has the largest proved natural gas reserves in the world.
What kind of fracture does shale have?
The shale contains three primary fracture types: structural fractures, digenetic fractures, and abnormal pressure fractures. High-angle shear fractures (75°–90° from bedding) are the dominant type of seepage fractures observed in the study area.
Is shale gas worse than coal?
But US researchers found that shale gas wells leak substantial amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This makes its climate impact worse than conventional gas, they say – and probably worse than coal as well.
What are disadvantages of shale gas?
A disadvantage is, however, that fracking has a big environmental impact. Natural habitats can collapse because of the high amount of water that is used. And wastewater can be also dangerous for the environment.