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Shale Gas

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Marcellus Shale Gas

It is now possible to extract shale gas economically, using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), in which water, sand and small quantities of added chemicals are used to open up fractures in the rock, allowing the gas to flow more freely.

Geological expertise is vital to locate shale gas resources, and to understand and manage possible risks linked with their extraction, such as induced seismicity or aquifer contamination due to poor well construction.

Resources:

The Geological Society Shale Gas Briefing Note

external linkBritish Geological Survey: Shale Gas Information Page

external linkThe ReFINE Project
The leading independent research consortium on fracking, led jointly by Newcastle University and Durham University

eventPast Events

Fracked or fiction: so what are the risks associated with shale gas exploitation? (April 2014)

Watch the London Lecture by Richard Davies of Durham University's Researching Fracking In Europe (ReFINE) project:

Shale Gas in the UK (June 2012)

Shell Lecture: Unconventional Gas, Melvyn Giles (May 2012)

policy documentPolicy documents and consultation responses

Geoscientist-online-thumbnail

Geoscientist ArticleGeoscientist Magazine

Geology for Society

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Aimed at policy and decision-makers as well as the wider public, 'Geology for Society' outlines the importance of geology to our society.