Shale gas - pros and cons of production. How shale gas is produced (9 photos)

The situation with energy resources has made a number of countries dependent on their imports. The development of alternative energy sources is directly related to the depletion of oil and natural gas fields. The possibility of extracting and using shale gas has become a topic of discussion for specialists in various fields, from politicians to environmentalists.

Shale gas - production features

A feature of gas production in shale rocks is the following - they potentially contain large reserves of hydrocarbons, the layers of which are densely mixed with shale particles. In this case, extraction is possible only with the use of hydraulic shocks, after which the gas moves to the upper layers, from where it can already be extracted.

For the first time, such a method of hydraulic fracturing was used in 1947, but at that level of technology development it was not effective enough. Currently, in the development of gas shale deposits, vertical-horizontal drilling is used, where a “propping” mixture is supplied to an extensive network of wells under high pressure, including salts of organic acids, oil refining waste, and sand. The resulting cracks release shale gas.

To develop a shale gas field, it is necessary to drill hundreds of times more wells than in conventional production. According to the technology of hydraulic fracturing - fracking, it is required to constantly maintain a given formation porosity, which is achieved by using chemical reagents. The shales themselves also contain a whole range of toxic impurities with a high level of gamma radiation.

The problem is that then all this mixture is released, goes into the upper layers, and through sedimentary rocks settles on the soil, enters water bodies in areas of shale gas production, creating an increased background radiation.

Positive aspects of shale gas production

The extraction of shale gas solves the current demand for energy resources within the country, allows you to export the surplus, earning foreign currency on it. The development of this industry gives significant impetus to economic development and the creation of new jobs. Another positive aspect is the support of low domestic gas prices, which is associated with an excess of its supply. The use of cheaper gas for a wide range of industrial products creates a more competitive product of the gas-producing country.

The possibility of producing shale gas in populated areas, within easy reach of the consumer, attracts investors while guaranteeing cost savings. At the same time, experts note the rapid depletion of shale deposits, often gas recovery ratio does not reach 20%. In addition, the environmental load in the areas of gas production is growing.

Negative consequences of the development of the gas shale industry

Pressure drops during hydraulic fracturing lead to constant earthquakes, from 1.6 to 3.6 on the Richter scale, the relationship of which with shale gas production has already been scientifically confirmed.

The pollution of soil and surface water with chemical waste is growing, the content of methane in the drinking water of residential areas located in the mining area has been exceeded by dozens of times.

An increase in the greenhouse effect, achieved by significant methane emissions during the development of gas shale deposits, should also be attributed to environmental disasters. Doctors note a surge in oncological diseases in the areas of shale gas production, multiple cases of chemical poisoning have been recorded.

The Future of Shale Production

Despite the protests of environmentalists and the public, new shale gas fields are being actively developed in the United States. Exploration of gas shale deposits is underway in Great Britain and Poland.

At the same time, fracking is officially banned in France, Romania and Bulgaria, and the development of gas shale deposits has already been banned in Australia for 20 years. In Europe, shale gas production is hindered by dense population and strict regulation of environmental safety. The likelihood of developing gas shale deposits here in the coming years is unlikely.

The prospects for the development of the gas shale industry are great, this is justified by the change in the global gas market right now. But widespread production of shale gas is possible only with high profitability, which requires high gas prices and stable demand.

The prospects for shale gas production at this stage look very vague. On the one hand, this type of fuel will help solve the problem of the exhaustibility of natural gas and other combustible minerals. The modern world is very dependent on fuel raw materials, so scientists are constantly conducting research in order to create alternative fuel sources. According to the most optimistic forecasts, the existing reserves on Earth at the current rate of consumption will last for several decades. Therefore, it is necessary now to look for new promising sources.

Shale gas production will not solve this problem, but it will help to somewhat delay the hour when natural fuel runs out. The time gained may help to find a real alternative. But on the other hand, the conditions for the occurrence of fuel require high costs for its extraction from the bowels. And most importantly, with the wrong mining technique, huge damage is done to the environment. And the environmental problem is no less acute than the fuel and energy one. So for the development of shale gas deposits, it is necessary to find a safe way that will minimize environmental pollution.

The environment in shale gas production suffers due to the use of drilling and blasting at great depths. This leads to vibrations underground, which affect many of the processes that take place. In addition, when using cheap equipment, not all gas can be extracted from the formed niche. Part of the fuel can get into groundwater, which will lead to horrific consequences. The area above the development will become deserted, since not a single plant will be able to draw the moisture necessary for life from the ground, since the underground waters will be polluted with gas residues.

Negative consequences will also affect the local population. The water in their homes will become unusable and no household filter will be able to fix this problem. We will either have to bring water in special tanks, or leave our native lands. These are the consequences of shale gas production if safety is not taken care of at all technological stages.

Shale gas extraction methods

The technology of shale gas production is dictated by the conditions of its occurrence. It is located in the thickness of the shale layer of sedimentary rocks. The complexity of mining is associated with the depths of shale, which reach 3 kilometers. Such conditions require the use of special expensive equipment. There are two main types of shale deposits development in the world.

The first method of shale gas production involves hydraulic fracturing of a gas-bearing formation. The procedure is a process of pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemical elements into a well under high pressure. As a result, gas is displaced to the surface, where it is collected in special reservoirs. The cost of shale gas production by hydraulic fracturing depends on the materials used. Basically, mining companies use the cheapest raw materials in pursuit of maximum profit. This leads to contamination of the subsoil with various chemical elements that make the soil unsuitable for plant and animal life.

The second way to extract shale gas is horizontal drilling. It involves drilling, but not in a vertical, but in a horizontal plane. Thus, the opening of the shale formation occurs simultaneously in many places. The released gas begins to look for a way out and rises up the drilled channel, where it is collected in prepared reservoirs. This method is preferable to the first, as it does not require the use of chemicals.

But it cannot be said that it does not harm the environment at all. Part of the gas is still escaping in unauthorized places through microscopic cracks in the earth's crust. In addition, drilling operations violate the established balance of shale formations, which can lead to many uncontrolled processes. The cost of extracting shale gas by this method will be higher than the use of hydraulic fracturing. This is due to the use of expensive equipment for drilling at great depths.

Before the start of development, seismic modeling of a section of the earth's crust is carried out. It allows you to determine drilling parameters with maximum accuracy and study possible risks during work. This approach is very important, as it allows the most correct preparation for intervention in the bowels. Responsible mining makes it possible to extract resources from the earth with minimal inconvenience to wildlife. The principle of shale gas extraction is associated with serious risks for a huge area, so a purely business approach without concern for the consequences can turn the surrounding land into a lifeless desert for many centuries.

Problems of shale gas production

Shale rocks are common on all continents. Therefore, almost any country has the opportunity to extract them on its territory. It looks very tempting in terms of ensuring its energy independence. But do not forget about the impact on the environment and the considerable cost of production. In addition, shale gas has half the heat output during combustion than natural gas. Therefore, the problems of shale gas production repel the authorities of many countries from the idea of developing existing fields.

Significant investment costs are required to start mining. And not every power will be able to allocate so much money from the budget. And private investors are in no hurry to invest in this industry, since the prospects for its development are not yet clear. But in some countries such mining is still underway. Shale gas production in the United States accounts for more than 15% of the total annual global production of this resource. The state is pursuing a targeted policy to increase this indicator. In this way, politicians seek to improve energy security through self-sufficiency in fuel resources. This approach has already brought its negative consequences.

Uncontrolled mining using hydraulic fracturing has turned several tens of hectares of land into a desert. Therefore, according to the decision of Congress, shale gas production in America should be carried out in the most environmentally friendly way. The US was a pioneer in shale exploration and was therefore the first to feel the negative effects of a purely consumerist approach. Many countries, looking at this example, do not want to hear about alternative fuels. There is no shale gas production in Europe, despite the presence of large reserves. Many states have imposed a moratorium even on intelligence work. In 2010, two experimental wells were drilled in Poland, but the project was soon curtailed due to unprofitability.

In 2012, Shell drilled an exploratory well in Ukraine. Studies have shown the presence of large reserves, so it was decided to establish production. According to experts, this can be done by 2018. Shale gas is not being produced in Russia for obvious reasons. The state is the world's largest exporter of natural gas, so until recently, no attention was paid to an alternative source. But under the influence of global trends, a program was nevertheless adopted that required exploration and calculation of the total amount of reserves by 2030.

Shale gas is the last hope of Russian liberals, the last dream of the Fifth Column. When the United States and all the rest begin to produce cheap shale gas in huge quantities, Russian gas will become useless. And then there will be no state budget, no pensions and no military budget. Russia will weaken.

Much has been written on this subject. But who? Journalists. Analysts. Politicians. What do scientists think about this? Here's what's important to know.

One of my readers sent me an article on shale gas. Its authors: he himself is Candidate of Technical Sciences Igor Olegovich Gerashchenko and Corresponding Member. RAS, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor of the Russian State University of Oil and Gas. M.I. Gubkina Albert Lvovich Lapidus.

And these two respected scientists and their article will greatly upset those who expect shale gas to displace natural gas from the markets and thereby cause enormous damage to Russia. Because the material of Russian scientists shows that the concept of “explored reserves” is practically inapplicable for shale gas. And most importantly, despite the fact that shale gas deposits are widespread throughout the world, its commercial production is possible only in the United States.

Before you read the article itself, a curious comment from one Russian scientist from the “oil and gas industry”:

“I recently attended a seminar in Moscow hosted by an American company that sells information about oil refining. They advertise shale gas and shale oil in full. At the same time, they flatly refuse to explain why information about the size of production and its cost is classified. Representatives of the company are more like cerushniks than oil refiners…”.

Shale gas – the revolution did not take place.

Source: Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2014, volume 84, no. 5, p. 400-433, authors I.O. Gerashchenko, A.L. Lapidus

Introduction.

Natural gas can be found almost anywhere on our planet. If we start drilling a well, then almost anywhere we will reach a reservoir that will contain gas. Depending on the composition and structure of the reservoir, the gas content in it may be different. In order to accumulate a lot of natural gas, a reservoir rock is needed that will contribute to the accumulation of gas, and these rocks can be sandstone, shale, clay or coal. Each of the above rocks will act as a reservoir in different ways. Depending on in which reservoir and at what depth this gas will occur, its name will also change. The gas produced from the shale formation becomes shale gas, and from the coal seam it becomes coal methane. Most gas can be produced from sandstone formations and the gas produced from such formations is simply referred to as "natural".

All natural gas reserves are divided into traditional and unconventional.

Traditional deposits are located in shallow (less than 5000 m) formations, where the reservoir rock is sandstone, which provides the greatest opportunities for gas accumulation, which leads to the minimum cost of its production.

Unconventional reserves include:

deep gas- the depth of occurrence is more than 5000 m, which increases the cost of drilling.

Natural gas tight rocks– the reservoir is dense rocks with low gas content.

Shale gas- the reservoir is shale.

coal methane- the reservoir is coal seams.

methane hydrates– methane is contained in crystalline hydrate in combination with water.

The permeability of tight rocks, shale and coal seams is much less than that of sandstone, which leads to a strong decrease in well flow rates. If the cost of natural gas production in traditional fields is about 15-25 $|1000 m 3 on land and 30-60 $/1000 m 3 on the shelf, then gas production in unconventional fields is much more expensive.

The US shale revolution was preceded by a long decline in conventional natural gas production. In 1990, 90% of US gas production came from conventional fields and only 10% from unconventional, tight gas and coalbed methane fields. Natural gas production from conventional fields in 1990 was 15.4 trillion. cubic feet, by 2010. it fell by 29% to 11 trillion. cube ft. The Americans compensated for such a catastrophic drop in gas production by expanding gas production at unconventional fields, which reached 58% of total production by 2010, which made it possible to bring total gas production to 21.5 trillion. cube feet or 609 billion m 3. The main forces were thrown into the extraction of shale gas.

Forecast of volumes and structure of natural gas production in the USA

Natural gas production by source, 1990-2035 (trillion cubic feet)

In 2009, the media reported that the US had become "the world's largest gas producer", pushing Russia into second place. The reason for this was explained by the increase in shale gas production, which became economically justified due to the use of innovative technologies developed by American companies. It was stated that with the help of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, shale gas production becomes more profitable than natural gas production. Discussion began that the US would soon stop its huge energy imports and, moreover, start supplying natural gas to all of Europe. Information was launched that shale gas production in the United States in 2010 reached 51 billion cubic meters per year (less than 8% of Gazprom's production). About $21 billion has been invested in shale gas companies.

Responsible analytical organizations did not share the "shale euphoria".

IEA (International Energy Agency) and BP review cited data according to which Russian gas production exceeds American, and DOE (US Department of Energy) in 2010 suggested that US gas production data is overestimated by about 10%, i.e. . by 60 billion m 3 per year. However, the opinions of professionals were ignored by the media. Analysts began to prophesy the collapse of the gas cartels. Poland was declared the future largest gas producing country in Europe [5,6,7]

The coming “shale revolution” was announced to the whole world.

Analysis of the possibility of using shale gas.

The real state of affairs in the US gas industry was not at all as rosy as the media would like. The declared cost of shale gas at $100 per 1000 m 3 has not been achieved by anyone. Even the company Chesapeake Energy(pioneer and active propagandist of shale gas) the minimum production cost was $160 per 1000 m 3 .

Under the guise of the “shale revolution”, many American gas companies have taken out loans using wells as collateral, thereby increasing their capitalization. However, it turned out that the productivity of a shale gas well drops by 4–5 times in the first year, as a result of which, after a year of operation, the equipment operates at only 20–25% of its capacity, and economic indicators go into the red. As a result, a number of US gas companies went bankrupt on the shale boom.

At the beginning of the “shale revolution” of 2008-2009, American gas companies received many orders for drilling for the exploration and production of shale gas from Poland, China, Turkey, Ukraine and several other countries. At the very first stages of work, it turned out that the cost of shale gas production in these countries is much higher than in the United States, and amounts to $ 300 - 430 per 1000 m 3, its reserves are much lower than predicted, and the gas composition, in most cases, is significantly worse than expected. In June 2012, Exxon-Mobil withdrew from further shale gas exploration in Poland due to resource scarcity. In August of the same year, the English company 3Legs Resources followed suit.

To date, in no country in the world, with the exception of the United States, shale gas is not produced on an industrial scale.

Let's dwell on the composition of shale gas. According to the data given in reference books, the heat of combustion of shale gas is more than two times lower than that of natural gas. The composition of shale gas is published very rarely, and the table below shows the reasons for this. If the best of the developed US fields in the produced gas can contain up to 65% nitrogen and up to 10.4% carbon dioxide, then one can imagine how many of these non-combustible gases are contained in shale gas from less promising fields.

Table. Composition of gas produced by US shale spit

Well No.	Gas composition, % vol.
Well No.	C1	C2	C3	CO 2	N 2
	BARNET Texas
1	80,3	8,1	2,3	1,4	7,9
2	81,2	11,8	5,2	0,3	1,5
3	91,8	4,4	0,4	2,3	1,1
4	93,7	2,6	0,0	2,7	1,0
	MARCELLUS western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia
1	79,4	16,1	4,0	0,1	0,4
2	82,1	14,0	3,5	0,1	0,3
3	83,8	12,0	3,0	0,9	0,3
4	95,5	3,0	1,0	0,3	0,2
	NEW ALBANY Southern Illinois extending through Indiana and Kentucky
1	87,7	1,7	2,5	8,1	0,0
2	88,0	0,8	0,8	10,4	0,0
3	91,0	1,0	0,6	7.4	0,0
4	92,8	1,0	0,6	5,6	0,0
	ANTRUM Michigan
1	27,5	3,5	1,0	3,0	65,0
2	67,3	4,9	1,9	0,0	35.9
3	77,5	4,0	0,9	3,3	14,3
4	85,6	4,3	0,4	9,0	0,7

The above table shows that SHALE GAS CANNOT HAVE PROVED RESERVES.

If at one ANTRUM field, in nearby wells, the nitrogen content in the produced gas ranges from 0.7 to 65%, then we can only talk about the gas composition of one well, and not the field as a whole.

In 2008, Exxon-Mobile, Marathon, Talisman Energy and 3Legs Resources valued shale gas deposits in Poland at trillions of cubic meters.

By the end of 2012, all these companies stopped exploration in Poland, having made sure that there was no shale gas suitable for commercial development in the country at all. The above companies have earned money from this “intelligence”, and a lot, but Poland has lost this money. There is a price to pay for illusions.

Exploration of shale gas reserves.

The "exploration" of shale gas reserves has nothing to do with conventional geological exploration and is as follows:

A well is being drilled with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (the cost of these works exceeds the cost of drilling and equipping a conventional vertical well by many times)
The resulting gas is subjected to analysis, the results of which determine which technology should be used to bring this gas to the final product.
Empirically, the productivity of the well is determined, for which the necessary equipment is selected. At first (several months), the equipment operates at full capacity, then the power has to be reduced, because. well productivity drops sharply.
Gas reserves are also determined empirically. The well produces gas from one to three years. By the end of this period, the equipment operates at 5 - 10% of its capacity.

The results of "exploration" of shale gas reserves (composition, reserves and productivity) are determined not before the start of development, but after its completion and do not refer to the field, but to one already developed well.

The construction of main gas pipelines during the extraction of shale gas is impossible due to the impossibility of calculating their parameters. In the USA, shale gas is used in close proximity to production sites, and this is the only possibility for its use. The United States is covered by a fairly dense network of low-flow gas pipelines. Wells for the extraction of shale gas are drilled so that the distance from them to the nearest, already existing, gas pipeline is negligible. There are practically no special gas pipelines for shale gas in the United States - only a tie-in is being made into an existing natural gas pipeline. Shale gas is often added (sometimes in minor amounts) to the natural gas stream. No other country in the world has such a dense network of gas pipelines, and it is not economically profitable to build them for shale gas.

The environmental impact of shale gas production could be an irreversible disaster. For one hydraulic fracturing, 4 - 7.5 thousand tons of fresh water, about 200 tons of sand and 80 - 300 tons of chemicals are used, including about 85 toxic substances, such as formaldehyde, acetic anhydride, toluene, benzene, dimethylbenzene, ethylbenzene, chloride ammonium, hydrochloric acid, etc. The exact composition of chemical additives is not disclosed. Despite the fact that hydraulic fracturing is carried out much below the water table, toxic substances penetrate into them due to seepage through cracks formed in the sedimentary rock mass during hydraulic fracturing. It should be noted that shale gas production is prohibited in many European countries.

Thus, we can conclude that:

The cost of shale gas production is 5-10 times higher than natural gas.
Shale gas can only be used as a fuel in close proximity to production sites.
Reliable information on shale gas reserves is not available, and is unlikely to appear in the foreseeable future, since modern exploration methods cannot provide it.
Commercial production of shale gas outside the US is not possible.
There will be no export of shale gas from the US for the foreseeable future.
Shale gas production in Russia is environmentally unacceptable and should be banned, as in many European countries.

Bibliography.

1. Shale Gas Will Rock the World by AMY MYERS JAFFE //"The Wall Street Journal",USA MAY 10, 2010

Shale gas can be classified as a variety of traditional gas that is stored in small formations of gas, reservoirs, in the boundary of the shale layer of settled rocks of the Earth. Shale gas reserves in the existing aggregate are quite large, but certain technologies are required for their extraction. A special feature for such deposits is that they are located almost all over the earth's continent. From this we can conclude: any country dependent on energy resources is able to provide itself with the missing component.

The composition of shale gas is quite specific. Synergistic properties in a harmonious complex of the birth of raw materials and its unique biorenewability provide this energy resource with significant competitive advantages. But if we consider its relation to the market, then it is rather controversial and implies a certain analysis, taking into account all the characteristics.

The history of the origin of shale gas

The first operating source for gas production was discovered in the United States. It happened in 1821, the discoverer was William Hart. Well-known specialists Mitchell and Ward act as activists in the study of the discussed type of gas in America. The grandiose production of the gas in question was started by Devon energy. It happened in 2000 in the USA. Since then, every year there has been an improvement in the technological process: advanced equipment has been used, new wells have been opened, and the volume of gas production has increased. In 2009, the United States was the world leader in production (reserves amounted to 745.3 billion cubic meters). It should be noted that about 40% came from unconventional wells.

Shale gas reserves in the world

Currently, US shale gas reserves have exceeded the milestone of 24.4 trillion cubic meters, which equates to 34% of possible reserves throughout America. In almost every state there are shales that are at a depth of approximately 2 km.

In China, shale gas reserves have now reached almost 37 trillion cubic meters, which is much more than conventional gas savings. With the arrival of spring 2011, the Republic of China completed drilling of its original shale gas source. The project took about eleven months to complete.
If we touch upon shale gas in Poland, then its reserves are located in three basins:

Baltic - technical recovery of shale gas reserves is about 4 trillion. cube m.
Lublin - the volume of 1.25 trillion. cube m.
Podlasie - at present, its reserves are at a minimum of 0.41 trillion. cubic meters

The total amount of reserves in the lands of Poland is equal to 5.66 trillion. cube m.

Russian sources of shale gas

Today, it is very difficult to provide any information about the existing reserves of shale gas in Russian wells. This is due to the fact that the issue of searching for a source of gas was not considered here. The country has enough conventional gas. But there is an option that in 2014 proposals for the extraction of shale gas, the necessary technology will be considered, as well as weigh the pros and cons.

Benefits of Shale Gas Production

The search for shale wells using hydraulic fracturing of the layer at a depth of only horizontal sources can be carried out in regtons with a large number of inhabitants;
Shale gas sources are located close to end customers;
The extraction of this type of gas is carried out without any loss of greenhouse gases.

Cons of shale gas production

The hydraulic fracturing process requires huge water reserves located near the field. For example, 7,500 tons of water, as well as sand and various chemicals, are required to carry out one gap. As a result, water pollution occurs, the disposal of which is quite difficult;
Wells for the production of simple gas have a longer life than shale;
Well drilling requires significant financial costs;
At the time of gas production, a huge variety of toxic substances are used, although until now the exact formula for hydraulic fracturing remains confidential;
The process of searching for shale gas incurs serious losses, and this in turn increases the greenhouse effect;
It is profitable to extract gas only if there is demand for it and a decent price level.

Shale gas

(shale gas)

natural gas

Shale gas is the composition, technology and methods of shale gas production, as well as an assessment of shale gas reserves in the world

Shale gas is the definition

Shale gas is a type of natural gas stored in the form of small gas formations in the thickness of the shale layer of sedimentary rock of the Earth, which is found on all continents. This energy resource combines the quality of fossil fuels and renewable sources and is found all over the world, so almost any energy-dependent country can provide itself with this energy resource.

slate Natural gas- This Natural gas, extracted from oil shale, which consists mainly of methane.

Shale gas- This a type of natural gas stored in small gas formations, reservoirs, within the shale layer of Earth's sedimentary rock.

Shale gas- This the same one on which we cook food. In composition, it is only slightly different from what comes to our kitchen. Its main feature is that it occurs in oil shale.

Shale gas is sedimentary, clayey, low-porosity, which acts both as a source and organic matter in a "favorable" environment.

Shale gas - This environmentally friendly fuel, so burning it releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning coal.

Shale gas is a mixture of explosive elements that cannot be pumped under high pressure and transferred over a long distance.

Shale gas is the heat transfer fuel is two times lower than natural gas.

History of shale gas production

The first commercial shale gas well was drilled in the United States in 1821 by William Hart at Fredonia, New York, which is considered USA"Father of Natural Gas". The initiators of the large-scale production of shale gas in USA are George P. Mitchell and Tom L. Ward.

At the moment, there are polar points of view when evaluating the world's shale gas reserves. Here is also a map of the stratospheric analysis of territories, published in the report on shale gas reserves in 2011 by the EIA, it differs significantly from previously published maps.

Information on shale gas reserves in the Russian Federation is given below, the evaluation of promising fields was carried out by OAO Gazprom. Sedimentary rocks on the East European Platform belong to the following periods: Ordovician, Cambrian, Upper Devonian, Silurian, Middle and Upper Carboniferous, Lower Permian, they are widely represented by shales of different thickness and maturity, which can be promising for development. It is worth highlighting on the Russian platform the Baltic Shield and the Polish-Lithuanian depression, located on the territory of Poland and Western Ukraine, and the Dnieper-Donetsk depression - on the territory of Ukraine, which have reserves of mature shale. On the Russian part of the Baltic Shield in the South Scandinavian region there are immature shales aged 2.8 billion years, more mature shales are located in the Central Kola block. According to Shell, published in the 2011 annual report, the Swedish shale in this area is unpromising.

The conditions for shale gas production in each country are unique, they are very limited by the mentality of the population, environmental legislation and the activity of environmental organizations. Let's take a look at some facts.

There is a large shale gas deposit in Canada. First of all, shale development is carried out in British Columbia, as well as north of Fort Nelson. Exploration is underway in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia. Most gas operators have experience in oil sands production in Alberta. The main promising field in Canada is the Ordovician period - Utica Shale (488-443 million years) in Quebec. The thickness of the shale layer ranges from 45-213 m, TOC - 3.5% to 5%, the deposit belongs to the Devonian period. The forecast reserves were estimated at 113 billion cubic meters. m of gas, successful tests were carried out on several experimental wells. After scandalous publications by environmentalists in Quebec, a moratorium was imposed on shale gas production. At the moment, active work is underway in Canada at the Muskwa Shale field, dating back to the Devonian period (416-360 million years), its predicted reserves are 179 billion cubic meters. m of gas.

AT australia For gas shale production, the Cooper basin is promising; the total area of the basin is 130,000 km2. Mining is concentrated in an almost deserted area in a desert area. The Cooper Basin also contains traditional gas and black gold deposits that provide Australia the necessary energy resources. The development of shale gas is carried out for the future. In July 2011, the first hydraulic fracturing was performed in the Cooper Basin, successfully recovering gas from a shale well. Estimated figures for the deposit have not yet been published.

Shale gas is

Focusing on the experience of the United States, the shale program in China is lobbied at the state level. China plans to extract 30 billion cubic meters from shale. m per year and reach 5% of the total production by 2020. Gas technologies are borrowed from the US agreements with Barack Obama. Shale gas production in China is not constrained by environmental regulations.

In Europe, shale gas production is considered as part of a program of energy independence from Russian supplies, the price of which is constantly growing. Exploration of shale gas deposits was carried out in Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Ukraine. In early 2011, Royal Dutch Shell announced the futility of shale deposits in Sweden. In France and England are practically conducting public hearings on imposing a moratorium on shale gas production. Currently, shale gas deposits located in Poland and Ukraine are considered the most promising.

As the New York Times writes, Ukraine and Poland, with their shale gas reserves, are regarded by Europeans as a worthy alternative to Russian gas. The first foreign organization that started working in Ukraine in 1998 was EuroGas Inc. This firm has carried out significant work on the exploration of gas fields in Western Ukraine, in Eastern Ukraine and in Poland on the territory of the Lvov-Volyn coal basin. Geological Department of EuroGas Inc. in Eastern Europe is headed by Professor Yuri Koltun, a world-renowned geologist of Russian origin. It is EuroGas Inc. was the first company to drill in Western Ukraine in the Lublin coal basin. Thanks to Yuri Koltun and his team, who explored shale deposits in Poland and Ukraine, EuroGas Inc. a significant amount of geological information and various technical studies on the development of shale gas in the territory of the Lublin basin and in the region of the Dnieper-Donetsk basin has been accumulated. According to research by EuroGas Inc. the thickness of shale deposits in Poland and western Ukraine is much greater than the thickness of shale in deposits in North America, the Polish-Ukrainian deposits belong to the Silurian period. In April 2010, EuroGas Inc. signed a confidential Contract with Total E&P for the purchase of geological information of the Lublin Basin. During 2011, active gas exploration is being carried out on the territory of Poland, and commercial gas production in this area is expected by 2014.

The main production in Poland will be concentrated in several places, exploration of a deposit 90 km from Gdansk has been carried out. The shale layer in this area lies at a depth of 3000 m. Currently, 22 companies are developing deposits in Poland, mainly from the USA and Canada. According to the EIA, Europe has 17.5 trillion. cube m of gas, the volume of Poland is estimated at 5.3 trillion. cube m of gas ready for immediate production. Currently, Poland has issued 68 licenses for the development of shale gas, which cover about 30-40% of the entire country. Most companies have already conducted seismic surveys and established the thickness of the shale layer. Production can start in 2 years, at the moment Poland has the best conditions for shale gas production in Europe.

The Dnieper-Donetsk depression, on the territory of which the Kharkov and Donetsk regions are located, has a total length of 1300 km in length and 3-100 km in width. This basin is characterized by sedimentary deposits dating back to the Permian period. There are no official data on the characteristics of a shale deposit in Eastern Ukraine, according to some data, the content of kerogen in shale is about 20%, the thickness of the shale layer is up to 3 meters, and the depth is up to 500 m. However, these data can be questioned. The basis for this may be a contract between Royal Dutch Shell and the Ukrainian government for the development of shale deposits in the areas: Novo-Mechebilosky, Gersovanosky, Melekhovsky, Pavlovsky-Svetlovsky, Zapadno-Shebelinsky and Shebelinsky. Shell is characterized by successful projects. The Shebelinskoye field is considered the most promising, with a depth of 6 thousand meters, where the expected volume of gas will be 400 billion cubic meters. m of gas. The main development factor will be the profitability of production; the Dnieper-Donetsk depression is characterized by the presence of large volumes of gas reservoirs. Commercial development will require up to 1,000 wells with a depth of 3-6 thousand meters. According to most experts, industrial gas production in Ukraine will begin no earlier than in 5-10 years. The risks of gas production from shale in Ukraine are very high due to the lack of experience and a geological structure different from the United States, on which extensive shale development data has been accumulated. According to Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko, in the coming months Ukraine plans to sign contracts with Marathon, ENI, ExxonMobil, Halliburton to start drilling.

The total volume of shale gas reserves in Poland and Ukraine is 6.5 trillion. cube m. For comparison, the explored volumes of the gas condensate Shtokman field amount to 3.7 trillion. cube m, Russia had high hopes for this deposit. Together with the Ukrainian gas transmission system, which, in addition to the system of main pipelines, also has one of the largest active gas storage facilities (21% of the total European volume), the gas fields of Poland and Ukraine can become an excellent addition to the gas transportation infrastructure in Eastern Europe, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE ). Recall that, according to the pan-European strategy, gas transportation is considered purely in conjunction with fields, main pipelines, storage facilities and LNG terminals, which implies a uniform growth of all components of the gas infrastructure. This approach will help avoid the situation that arose in the United States, when due to the lack of gas processing and gas transportation infrastructure, the price collapse of the market occurred, which jeopardizes the development of gas shale industry. At the same time, the takeover of the Ukrainian GIE gas transmission system, along with the industrial development of shale gas in Poland and Ukraine, can change the balance of power in the European energy market, i.e., minimize Gazprom’s supplies to European Union. The planned takeover of the Ukrainian GIE gas transmission system pursues several strategic goals at once:

replenishment of the European gas transmission system with a powerful infrastructure, including a full range of gas transmission enterprises;

provision of industrial gas production in Poland with storage facilities in Western Ukraine;

violation of the integrity of Russian gas flows and deprivation of the Russian Federation of the necessary gas infrastructure for exporting gas to Europe, that is, deprivation of a competitive advantage;

change in the geopolitical situation and market management of prices for energy resources.

Such a balance of power in the European energy market requires the Russian side to reassess its priorities. For OAO Gazprom, it is necessary to assess what is more important: maintaining the integrity of the Russian gas transmission infrastructure and a confident competitive advantage in the European market or making profit from Ukrainian supplies in the short term with the possible loss of a significant part of the European market after the start of industrial production of shale gas in the Lublin coal basin . Ukraine’s gas transmission system allows AOA Gazprom not only to maintain its position as the world’s largest gas transportation company, but also to have a restraining effect on the development of commercial shale gas production in Europe, other levers of pressure will be less effective. Should GIE withdraw from Ukrainian pipelines and storage facilities, shale gas coming from Poland will not be provided with the necessary gas infrastructure in Europe, which will require GIE not only to make significant investments and additional time, which will allow Gazprom to effectively reorganize assets.

The influence of shale gas on the global energy market will have a pronounced regulatory nature, and the degree of influence on regional markets will differ significantly, and the influence itself will be subject to different laws due to the unique characteristics of each of the markets. Such changes will lead to some geopolitical changes, but a qualitative change in the energy structure of the market and relevant political processes can be achieved only if the economic policy of the largest gas players is illiterate.

Massive speculations about the degree of influence of shale gas on the world position of JSC "Gazprom" are economically unfounded. The appearance of a substitute product, which is shale gas, has never led to a complete change in microeconomic trends. The appearance of substitute goods on the market will have a corrective effect on the price of gas, in general, will lead to its reduction.

The impact of shale gas on regional markets should only be considered in conjunction with other substitute products, as well as within a balanced regional gas infrastructure. The consequences of reverse tactics can be seen in the United States, where shale enterprises are on the verge bankruptcy due to lack of markets marketing. From this point of view, it is necessary to note the competent economic policy GIE, which, however, is greatly weakened by the financial crisis in Europe. Because of this, GIE will not be able to achieve a coordinated launch of gas shale infrastructure in Europe, especially since this trend can be strengthened through the use of market regulators of OAO Gazprom.

Despite the statements of many experts about the uncertainty of the global gas market, the situation is quite certain. The regulatory influence of shale gas on world markets, indeed, cannot be discounted. The appearance of substitute goods testifies to the development of the energy market, which is an objective reality and is not a product of political speculation. Shale gas, indeed, in future periods can provide significant gas reserves, which will lead to a significant change in the elasticity of demand in all micromarkets, including the European one. At present, OAO Gazprom's policy should involve a change of priorities. If earlier the "gas lever" was an effective political mechanism, then at the moment it is necessary to focus on the economic principles of market management. Otherwise, the reason for the decline in the global influence of OAO Gazprom will not be the appearance of shale gas itself, but the usual development of the gas market.

As noted, the position of OAO Gazprom in relation to gas shale production should be of a regulatory nature and use numerous restraining mechanisms in order to provide itself with a margin of time for effective redistribution assets:

Regulation requires the development of the US gas shale industry. The growth of gas infrastructure implies diversification American gas to the markets of Asia and the burning continent. However, the capacities of the Russian Shtokman field and the Sakhalin shelf can provide Asia necessary gas resource and reduce the volume of markets for the United States marketing shale gas, having a regulatory impact on the development of the shale industry, which will grow commensurate with the sales markets.

Shale gas is

Regulation requires the development of the gas shale industry in Europe. First of all, it is necessary to prevent the partial or complete takeover of Ukraine's gas transmission system by GIE. At the moment, there is no need for full Russian control over the Ukrainian GTS, it is enough to get shares in active storage facilities in Western Ukraine, including Bohorodchanskoye, parts of main pipelines, as well as other strategic facilities. Such a policy would not involve massive political speculation in the union, and would require GIE to invest heavily in gas infrastructure to advance shale projects.

The development of the gas shale industry correlates with market prices, regular price collapses in the market will lead to a decrease in well launch activity in Poland and Ukraine, the industrial start of large gas shale projects in Europe may occur not in 2 years, but at least in 10 years.

It is necessary to develop the gas shale industry on its own, which will imply the flexibility of Gazprom's position in relation to world trends. It should be noted that gas shale, due to the environmental threat, can develop only in sparsely populated areas with an additional supply of water. Accordingly, gas shale production is the prerogative of large countries with uninhabited territories.

From now on, the most justified for OAO Gazprom will be a flexible price management policy with a presence in all regions of the world. An increase in presence in different regions of the world can be carried out through the construction of gas infrastructure in the United States, as well as the construction of pipelines and LNG terminals in Asia. As practice shows, the development of the aggregate gas infrastructure can be attributed to the most effective strategies for the development of energy companies; accordingly, it is important for OAO Gazprom to build up its own assets in the gas transportation infrastructure in sales markets and markets requiring regulation.

The distributed tactics of asset placement will require OAO Gazprom to reconsider the principle of "equal profitability of markets", given the high elasticity of demand, it is not market-justified. Each local market at each moment of time has its own unique features, respectively, the norm arrived and the conditions for obtaining it in each market will be different. Flexible price management of the market by a major gas supplier may have a restrictive effect on undesirable market phenomena for OAO Gazprom. Increasing Gazprom's assets in regional markets will increase the organization's distribution, which will have a positive impact on financial stability. Competent economic policy not only will it not reduce Gazprom's influence on the energy market, but it can stabilize and strengthen it.

In March 2011, one of the American agencies statistics conducted an assessment of the reserves of this gas in 32 states. The experts' report did not include Russia and the states of the Middle East. It turned out that the global gas reserves amounted to 640 trillion cubic meters. Of these, about 40% is accounted for by the extraction of shale gas. Significant volumes of shale deposits are concentrated in the world in regions such as South Africa and China.

Sources

Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia, WikiPedia

sintezgaz.org.ua - Sintezgaz

pronedra.ru - PRONEDRA

podaril.ru - online store

depo.ua - DePo

Forbes.ru- forbes

Encyclopedia of the investor. 2013 .

Big encyclopedic polytechnic dictionary