GTI WHITE PAPER

Global Gas Shales and

Unconventional Gas
Unlocking Your Potential

Gas Technology Institute

1700 S. Mount Prospect Rd.
Des Plaines, Illinois 60018
847-768-0500
www.gastechnology.org

September 2011

Table of Contents

Introduction

Introduction

What is Unconventional Gas?

Technology and the Role of GTI

A World of Abundant Supply

What Abundant Gas Makes Possible

Unlocking Your Unconventional Gas

GTI is Your Trusted Development Partner

Why GTI?

Global Gas Shales and Unconventional Gas

Unlocking Your Potential

11

Page 2

In a world demanding secure, abundant,

and affordable energy that combats
climate change, natural gas from
unconventional sources has a vital role
to play. As declared by President
Obama in China: The potential for
natural gas production in the U.S. from
hydrocarbon-rich shale formations,
known as shale gas, has grown
dramatically in recent years due to
technological advances. The
development of shale gas is expected to
significantly increase U.S. energy
security and help reduce greenhouse
gas pollution. The United States is not
alone in having significant shale gas
resources.(White House 2009) The
team at the Gas Technology Institute
(GTI) agrees fully with President
Obama and is absolutely committed to
helping bring the technologies and
capabilities developed and successfully
deployed in the U.S. to the rest of the
world.

What is Unconventional Gas?

Unconventional gas provides a source of abundant,
affordable, and cleaner-burning energy to a world
demanding stable energy prices, energy security and
solutions to the climate change challenge.
Unconventional gas is comprised primarily of three
natural gas sources tight gas sands, coalbed methane
(CBM) and gas shales. Methane hydrates is another
unconventional gas resource of the future, but not yet
ready for economic extraction.
There are four characteristics that distinguish
unconventional gas from what is commonly understood
as conventional gas:
Unconventional gas formations are deposited
over large continuous areas rather than in discrete
geologic traps.
The geologic setting of unconventional gas is
significantly more complex and challenging than
for conventional gas.
For coalbed methane and gas shales the gas
source, trap and reservoir are the same, not three
distinct elements as for conventional gas.
All three unconventional sources require some
type of stimulation (e.g., hydraulic fracturing) for
economic production.
In simple words, conventional gas is generally harder to
find, easier to produce while unconventional gas is
easier to find, harder to produce.
Advanced technology has enabled unconventional
resources to be developed economically in the United
States. Technological enhancements still to come will
be crucial to continue to reduce the cost and
environmental footprint.
The geologic settings of unconventional gas resources
are uniquely different from one play to the next. It is
the transfer of existing knowledge combined with new
technology tailored to the specific characteristics of
resource plays that will be essential to developing
unconventional gas in other countries around the world.

Technology and the Role of GTI

Development of unconventional gas in the United
States was launched with the help of a collaborative
research program led by GTI. That effort became a
catalyst for experimentation and new technology
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The Wall Street Journal calls unconventional gas the

biggest energy innovation of the decade.(WSJ 2009) Others
are calling it a revolution,a paradigm shift, and a
game changer. No matter how you describe it, it is not the
resource itself that is new. What is new is the realization of
what unconventional gas makes possible locally and globally
as a result of advanced technology that can now unlock the
potential of this abundant resource.
Guy Lewis
Managing Director E&P Sector, GTI

development that unlocked the potential of Americas

new natural gas.
Other organizations, notably the U.S. Department of
Energy, also played a critical role in the economical
development of unconventional gas in the U.S.
Breakthrough: GTIs Coalbed Methane
Research Program
In 1982, GTI (as the Gas Research Institute) led the
worlds first effort to develop unconventional gas
resources with a research program targeting coalbed
methane. GTI managed a collaborative team of
experts from industry and academia and developed
the technologies that have enabled CBM to grow
from nothing to now making up fully 12% of total
U.S. gas supply.
Building on this experience, GTI managed parallel
programs for gas shale and tight sands production.
These programs led to the development of hydraulic
fracturing technology and a fundamental
understanding of gas adsorption/desorption in rock
formations. Hydraulic fracturing and recent advances
in horizontal drilling are two key technologies critical
to unlocking unconventional gas resources.
Research Partnership to Secure Energy for
America (RPSEA)
In 2007, RPSEA was awarded the contract to manage
the Ultra-deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas
and Other Petroleum Resources Research and
Development Program created by the United States
Energy Policy Act of 2005. GTI played a pivotal role
in the start-up of RPSEA, a non-profit corporation
composed of a consortium of over 150 top U.S.
related entities dedicated to increasing Americas
supply of energy. This role included establishing the
technology road-map for the Unconventional Gas
R&D program. GTI manages this RPSEA program
that is now the largest Unconventional Gas
technology program in the world.

Hydraulic Fracturing
Credit for economically extracting gas from shale
generally goes to George Mitchell, former head of
Mitchell Energy and Development Corp. In the early
1980s Mitchell and his geologists experimented with
hydraulic fracturing the process of pumping a
mixture of water, chemicals and sand under high
pressure into underground layers of shale to crack the
rock and allow gas to flow freely from the formation.

the environmental footprint of field production

activities.

Technology developed by GTI including micro seismic

for measuring fracture performance and fracture
modeling software were leveraged by Mitchell and
dramatically improved their production results. Today,
these technologies are key components in the operations
of all fracturing service companies.

To support the dissemination of this experience, GTI

with the cooperation of RPSEA and the International
Gas Union (IGU) organizes the annual Global
Unconventional Gas: Unlocking Your Potential
conference to bring together organizations interested
in this growing energy resource. This premier event
attracts several hundred attendees and provides an
ideal opportunity to highlight the potential and
technologies associated with unconventional gas. .
The 2011 event is being held in Beijing, China,
September 13-15.

Completion engineers at Mitchell Energy took a chance and

started experimenting with water fracs that proved successful.
At the same time, Mitchell scientists using techniques
developed by the Gas Technology Institute did a new core
study using state of the art technology that proved the gas in
place figures were actually four times more than previously
believed.

Global Unconventional Gas

Interest is high around the world in the natural gas
potential from unconventional resources. GTI and its
partners have been centrally involved in the
technology and growth of this resource base in North
America.

Source: AAPG Explorer

Horizontal Drilling
In 2000, Devon Energy Corp. acquired Mitchell and
combined hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling
to make shale gas wells more productive. Horizontal
drilling enables a
Horizontal Drilling
single vertical well to
turn horizontally and
follow a seam of
shale for up to two
miles. Devons
success freed the gas
to flow in greater
volumes and at a
much lower unit cost
than previously
thought possible.
GTI: Continuing to Provide Leadership and
Innovation
GTI is where industry and government agencies look
first for bringing together the right partners and
technology-based solutions to make unconventional
resources productive. Our focus today is on developing
and deploying technologies and providing services that
enhance the economic efficiency and minimize risk and
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A World of Abundant Supply

North American Gas Shale and
Unconventional Gas
In the United States unconventional gas contributed
about 10% of total production in 1990. Today it is
over 40% and by 2020 it is expected to supply well
over 50%. Gas shales are driving this growth.
North American gas shales already contribute over 9
billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) or 250 million cubic
meters per day (Mcmd) and are projected to grow
rapidly (Kuuskraa, et. al. 2009). In ten years, gas
shales alone are expected to account for a third of
North American natural gas production. The gas shale
resource of North America is vast.

The resource endowment (the gas in-place) in the

Magnificent Seven gas shales of the U.S. and Canada
equals 5,146 Tcf (146 trillion cubic meters (Tcm)),
with an estimated 715 Tcf (20 Tcm) technically recoverable.
Mexico may also have significant resources and is just
beginning to explore their potential.

The International Energy Agency World Energy

Outlook (2009) assumed that about 40% of Rogners

Coalbed Methane provides an additional 5 Bcfd (150

Mcmd) in North America. Tight Gas Sands provides
nearly 18 Bcfd (500 Mcmd) in the U.S. Adding
coalbed methane and tight gas to the expectations from
gas shales, by year 2020 unconventional gas will have
the capacity to provide 52 Bcfd (1,470 Mcmd) and
account for nearly two-thirds of total North American
natural gas production.
World Gas Shale and Unconventional Gas
The worldwide pursuit of gas shale and unconventional
gas has not only just begun. All currently published
resource estimates for world supplies start with H.H.
Rogners 1997 top-down study of world hydrocarbon
resources. Rogner estimated the world gas shale
resource endowment to be 16,110 Tcf (456 Tcm).
Global Gas Shales and Unconventional Gas
Unlocking Your Potential

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Source: H.H. Rogner 1997

resource endowment would become recoverable,

which equates to a gas shale recoverable resource of
6,350 Tcf (180 Tcm).
If the experience in North America holds for other
plays around the world, Rogners resource
endowment estimate for gas shales will prove to be

very conservative. Projections of U.S. technically

recoverable gas have increased dramatically since 1985
as a result of new discoveries and continued
technological advances, setting new records in 2008.

Europe
Europes gas shale resource endowment and supply
potential are large and production holds promise.
ARI and EIA estimate the shale gas resource
assessment for Europe to be:
2,587 Tcf of risked gas in-place.
624 Tcf of technically recoverable resource.

Source: Modified from Bill Fisher, Bureau of Economic

Geology

In 2011, the International Shale Gas Resource

Assessment was conducted by Advanced Resources
International, Inc. (ARI) for the U.S. DOE Energy
Information Administration (EIA).
This shale gas resource assessment captured a firstorder view of the gas in-place and technically
recoverable resource for 32 countries and 48 shale gas
basins around the world.

Shale Gas Basins Included in International Shale Gas Assessment

Source: Advanced Resources International, Inc.

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Exploration is underway in several European basins

including the Alum Shale of Sweden, the Silurian
Shale of Poland, the Posidonia Shale in Germany, the
Carboniferous sediments in The Netherlands and
Germany, and the Mikulov Shale of Austria. Several
companies are also seeking permits for shale gas
prospects in southeast France in Languedoc
Roussillon, the Cevennes mountains region, and the
Savoie area near the Swiss border. Other significant
efforts are underway in Hungarys Mako Trough to
understand the potential of its tight sand resources.
Europes gas shale geology is challenging. Therefore
the development and deployment of technology
tailored to each play is crucial for making Europes
gas shale resources economically productive.
China and India
China and India have numerous gas shale basins that

are only now starting to be evaluated. Several

agreements between International Oil Companies
(IOCs) and Chinese National Oil Companies (NOCs)
have been announced to jointly evaluate and develop
the gas shales in Sichuan Province and others.
ARI and EIA estimate the shale gas resource
assessment for China to be:
5,101 Tcf of risked gas in-place.
1,275 Tcf of technically recoverable resource.
India is currently evaluating its resource potential.
South America
There are initial efforts underway in Venezuela,
Argentina, and Chile to understand the resource
potential of tight sands and gas shale.
ARI and EIA estimate the shale gas resource
assessment for South America to be:
4,569 Tcf of risked gas in-place.
1,225 Tcf of technically recoverable resource.
Other Countries
Gas shale exploration is underway in many other parts
of the world, including Australia, New Zealand and
Southern Africa.
ARI and EIA estimate the shale gas resource
assessment for Australia to be:
1,381 Tcf of risked gas in-place.
396 Tcf of technically recoverable resource.
And for South Africa:
1,834 Tcf of risked gas in-place.
485 Tcf of technically recoverable resource.

What Abundant Gas Makes Possible

The discovery of unconventional gas has transformed
the conversation around natural gas in the U.S. from
one of depleting reserves, high prices and a future
reliance on LNG imports to one of abundance,
affordability and domestic energy security. As
development occurs throughout the world, it opens up
tremendous opportunities for energy security, reducing
climate change risk, and creating wealth and high
paying jobs.

Provides Energy Security

An abundant supply of home-grown gas has the
potential to change the energy trade balance between
nations. It may be that those countries around the
world who have traditionally imported the bulk of
their energy from elsewhere may instead become
self-reliant or even energy exporters.
Reduces Climate Change Risk
Abundant supplies of unconventional gas transform
global debates over climate change abatement
strategies. With a carbon footprint at least 30% lower
per BTU than oil and 45% cleaner-burning than coal,
natural gas is highly desirable bridge fuel to a lowcarbon, sustainable energy future and will play a
prominent role in the energy mix for decades to
come.
We are no longer in a conversation about whether to use
natural gas for this or that. Abundant supplies of
unconventional gas make it possible to have a conversation of
this and that.
Guy Lewis
Managing Director E&P Sector, GTI

New climate regulations that place a price on carbon

emissions will shift relative economics in favor of
more natural gas consumption rather than coal in
electric power generation. Natural gas power plants
can also be built more quickly than coal-fired plants.
Gas facilitates the development of renewable energy.
Because gas plants can be switched on and off
quickly (unlike coal and nuclear) natural gas can
better supplement wind and solar power facilities,
whose output varies with the weather. New gas
supplies leading to more stable prices could also
support more transportation fleets being converted to
natural gas without requiring major infrastructure
improvements. Additional technology developments
could also make the economics of passenger car
utilization more attractive over time.
Creates Wealth, Jobs and Investment
Energy development means economic development.
In July 2011, Penn State University issued a study

entitled The Pennsylvania Marcellus Natural

Gas Industry: Status, Economic Impact, and
Future Potential that analyzed production data and
industry investments, as well as the overall economic

Global Gas Shales and Unconventional Gas

Unlocking Your Potential

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impact natural gas development from the Marcellus

Shale is having in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The study projects that Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale
has the potential to produce 17.5 billion cubic feet of
natural gas per day (6.4 trillion cubic feet annually)
representing nearly one-quarter of Americas annual
natural gas production in 2020, according to U.S.
Department of Energy estimates. In 2011,
Pennsylvania could produce nearly 3.5 billion cubic
feet per day of natural gas, making the Commonwealth
a net exporter of natural gas. This development could
support more than 156,000 jobs and generate $12.8
billion in economic activity in Pennsylvania alone. By
2020, according to the study, Marcellus development
could support 256,420 jobs and generate $20 billion in
added value to Pennsylvanias economy. The PSU
study captures job creation and economic development
in just one state and from just one resource!
In addition, energy-intensive manufacturing companies
often relocate in search of cheaper energy in order to
remain globally competitive. Regions with abundant
supplies of natural gas will be more successful at
attracting and retaining direct capital investment and
the high paying jobs that come with it.

determination of the total size, volume, distribution and

nature of the gas must be performed. Production
mechanisms tailored to the characteristics of the
formation must be studied and verified, leading to the
development of an appropriate technology roadmap
for resource development.
Well Drilling and Completion
Conventional drilling practices can often be readily
adapted to the new unconventional plays. However,
completion and stimulation practices must be
modified to address issues specific to characteristics
of the formations. Some formations are likely to
require new approaches and advanced technology for
both drilling and completion of new wells. For
instance, the approaches that have enabled the
development of the Barnett Shale resource in Texas
have been found to be ineffective when applied to the
New Albany Shale resource in Illinois, Indiana, and
Kentucky.

Unlocking Your Unconventional Gas

Well-costs need to be reduced considerably to

produce gas in economically marginal areas and fitfor-purpose equipment may be required to access
certain resources in challenging terrain. Coiled
tubing drilling (CTD) is one approach that continues
to be developed with this objective.

Developing new gas resources requires a collaborative

effort between a broad and diverse group of participants.
Some bring new ideas while others perform basic
research. Others test concepts in the field and many
participate in the dissemination and transfer of new
concepts to the gas industry.

Environmental Stewardship
The responsible stewardship of the environment is
crucial for the sustainable development of
unconventional gas resources. In fact, it is a license
to operate.

Program participants might typically include personnel

from E&P Operators and Service Companies, Universities,
Consulting Firms, Private Research Organizations, Oil
and Gas Associations, National Labs and Public
Geological Surveys.
Whether in the U.S. or elsewhere around the globe,
developing your unconventional gas endowment
requires characterizing the resource, applying the
appropriate well drilling and completion techniques,
ensuring the required infrastructure is in place, and
managing the reservoir over time (Perry, 2001). Of
course, good environmental stewardship must be in
place to earn the right to develop the resources.
Resource Characterization
Most unconventional gas resources around the world
are not well understood and therefore need
characterization. Accurate mapping of the resource and
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Unlocking Your Potential

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Environmental impacts such as surface footprint,

emissions, water usage, waste disposal, or habitat
fragmentation can be mitigated with careful planning
and the deployment of innovative processes, fit-forpurpose technologies and techniques that maximize
efficiency. In places where energy development
occurs near populated communities, extra measures
can be put in place to minimize traffic, noise, any
impacts on views, and general intrusion.
Gas Production and Processing
Infrastructure
Gas produced from unconventional gas resources are
typically marketed through the existing natural gas
gathering and pipeline systems. Once produced the
gas typically does not require any special handling as
compared to the conventional gas resources being
produced.

However, there may be instances where new infrastructure

and new technology is required to process the gas and
condition it to pipeline quality standards.
Reservoir Management
Unconventional gas reservoirs may perform contrary to
conventional understanding of gas reservoirs. For
example, efforts to produce gas from coal seams often
began by producing only water until reservoirs were
lowered in pressure allowing gas to desorb from the
coal. At this point gas began to flow and be produced
in ever increasing quantities while the water production
declined. This was opposite to gas production from
conventional reservoirs where gas production occurred
at the greatest volume initially and then declined over
time. Water production was normally minimal at the
outset of production and increased over time.

Technology Dissemination
A significant part of any research program is technology
dissemination. Developing any new resource that is
technology dependent will need a focused effort to
transfer results.
Unconventional gas involves a wide spectrum of
stakeholders, from small and mid-size gas producing
companies to the majors and those service companies
that support them. As such, dissemination programs
must be designed for the intended audience and must
effectively reduce the risk associated with applying
new technology and processes.

GTI is Your Trusted Development Partner

GTI is committed to being a catalyst for new technology
development and commercialization to expand your
supply of affordable, abundant and clean-burning energy.

Our approach is based on 25 years of working with

the global industry, academia, and government policy
makers to develop solutions for converting shale gas
and other unconventional gas resource potential into
productive energy resources. In doing so, GTI has
helped make the unconventional conventional.
Today, GTI is a market driven organization,
responsive to the competitive needs of
unconventional gas owners, operators, and service
companies. We are an active partner with industry,
RPSEA, other researchers, and government in
continuing to generate the innovations required to
reduce the production cost and environmental
footprint of developing these vital resources.
Examples include:
1) Better methods for drilling and completing
wells with increased gas production and
decreased environmental impact.
2) Methods for handling and affording beneficial
use and recycling of water produced along with
gas.
3) Approaches for enhancing coalbed methane
production while sequestering the greenhouse
gas CO2 in the depleted coalbed and other
geologic formations.
GTI also has experience and concepts related to
methane hydrate development. We are ready to
support the development of these vital resources in
the longer-term.
GTI is the only unconventional gas partner with the
experience the industry trusts to be an unbiased,
reliable voice of science and reason. We have the
qualified staff, deep network of technology providers
and producers, and organizational expertise to
coordinate and focus the activities of a number of
research providers on a specific resource target. We
will work with gas producers and service companies
to ensure that the research results are effectively
applied in production operations to increase gas
supply. The GTI coalbed methane development
program and work in a number of gas shale plays
provide examples of the impact of such activities.
Research Consortia
GTI leads field-based research projects focused on
developing techniques and methodologies for
increasing the success rate and productivity of
unconventional gas resources. The New Albany shale

Global Gas Shales and Unconventional Gas

Unlocking Your Potential

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gas project, funded by RPSEA, is a current example of

GTIs intention to enable otherwise noncommercial
wells to become economically viable producers. The
project includes a group of New Albany Shale
producers and several leading edge technology and
service providers making up a collaborative research
team.

rock and metal samples to laser energy under

simulated in-situ conditions of pore pressure, fluid
saturation as well as under controlled gas
atmospheres. GTI own the intellectual property
relevant for downhole applications of laser energy.

Joint Industry Partnerships

GTI serves as managing director of two joint industry
partnershipsthe Barnett Shale Water Conservation
and Management Committee and the Appalachian
Shale Water Conservation and Management
Committeefocused on water processing, conservation,
and public outreach. The objective is to develop lowcost and environmentally sustainable solutions to the
industrys produced water challenges.

Coiled Tubing Drilling Technology

Coiled tubing drilling (CTD) technology has the
potential to save billions of dollars in shallow well
construction costs and reduce the environmental
impact of developing vital unconventional energy
resources such as natural gas from shale and
geothermal power. GTI has managed industry
demonstrations documenting 30% cost savings for
drilling with reduced footprint, waste discharge,
emissions, noise and improved safety vs.
conventional drilling.

Proprietary Technology Development,

Laboratories and Facilities
GTI has staff expertise and facilities to accelerate
development of proprietary technologies from concept
to commercialization. We offer an exceptional
combination of skill sets from highly scientific to
hands-on field operations.

Produced Water Handling

For over 20 years, GTI has worked with academia,
government, and industry to develop solutions for the
conditioning of produced waters to enable
environmentally sound and cost effective
management, by-product recovery, and beneficial use
or reuse of produced water streams. Recent work:

Laser Drilling and Completion Lab

GTI owns and operates a laser lab employing a 5.34
kW ytterbium-doped multiclad fiber laser. High-power
fiber lasers represent a recent technological breakthrough
upon which a rugged, deployable system for downhole
operations can be based.

Source: Gas Technology Institute

Studies have focused on the interaction of laser energy

with rocks, leading toward concepts for improved
drilling and completion methods for oil and gas and
geothermal applications. A unique capability of the
GTI laser lab are test cells for studying the response of
Global Gas Shales and Unconventional Gas
Unlocking Your Potential

Page 10

2011 - The Marcellus Shale Research Consortia

2010 - Techno-economic Assessment of Water
Management Solutions
2009 - RPSEA Project: Water Management and
Reuse Technologies
2009 - Marcellus Shale Coalition Water
Characterization Study
2008 - Barnett Shale Water Conservation and
Management Committee
2008 - The New Albany Shale Research Consortia
The Techno-economic Assessment of Water
Management Solutions was a joint industry project of
23 companies that was completed it in May, 2011.
The project:
Identified 4 flow schemes of water
management system for shale gas plays
Aligned on benchmark cost envelopes of
different management alternatives
Investigated implications of potential
regulatory changes
Provided understanding of how solution
needs, options, and economics change at each
phase of a development areas life-cycle
Evaluated conventional and emerging
technology options

Identified beneficial alternatives for solid waste

disposal
The management of risk is critically important to
successful shale gas development. GTIs Technoeconomic Assessment project showed that water based
life cycle modeling is useful for mitigating risk and
reducing costs by providing understanding of the
factors that drive water management costs and

Why GTI?
Coordinating large, goal driven development programs
requires full time attention and focus in order to be
successful. The E&P industry has led projects utilizing
the Joint Industry Project (JIP) structure but rarely
manages large consortium programs. Staff who are
assigned to JIP management invariably have additional
duties which divert time and attention from project
management. If the end result is to be the commercial
production of a significant volume of gas from a new
resource, the flexibility of the private sector and the
focus provided by a dedicated organization like GTI
is required.
Dissemination of technology is another important
task. The level of effort and resources required is
often underestimated. To do this efficiently, an entity
that has experience and an ongoing education and
technology transfer program is beneficial.

operational decisions throughout the life of a

development area. Operators and solution providers
can use this knowledge to anticipate and plan for future
changes, uncertainties, and challenges related to
environmental impact; implement strategies and
development work that extends the economic life of
each well field; and provide assurances to stakeholders
about technologies and sustainable operating practices
that fit particular phases of the life cycle.
Below is an example of the life cycle projection that
was generated by GTIs proprietary model for the
Marcellus Shale Base Case.
GTI has laboratory and pilot-scale equipment that
have been applied to testing more economical
approaches for produced water treatment. The GTI
capability in water engineering includes a wide span of
treatment processes to address many challenges in the
processing of water streams for purposes of surface
discharge and beneficial reuse. GTI has the facilities
and professional experience to conduct R&D as well as
process development in technology application areas of
ion exchange, biological treatment, membrane
processing (e.g. nanofiltration, microfiltration,
ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, etc.), electrodialysis,
chemical oxidation treatment, cutting-edge nanoscale
iron treatment and the use of natural living systems for
contaminant removal.

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Overall program management and technical

demonstrations are best performed by an entity that
understands the importance of not placing an unfair
advantage or bias toward one concept versus another
without extensive due diligence. With GTI you have
a trusted partner one who provides an objective
voice of science and reason.
GTI also has the facilities, capabilities, and experience
to work with partners privately to successfully
develop the new technologies that will continue to
reduce the cost and environmental footprint of
unconventional gas production.
GTI is a private not-for-profit organization whose
primary business is managing large research
programs on behalf of the gas industry. GTI has
successfully managed several large research programs
(e.g., Coalbed Methane) and gained the confidence of
both industry and government. Success was derived
in large part due to the full time focus placed on
management and maintaining strong interaction with
all constituents.

For more Information

References

To learn more about how GTI can help you with your
gas shale and other unconventional gas development
needs, please contact:

American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

www.aapg.org.

Trevor Smith

Considine, Timothy Ph.D., Robert Watson Ph.D.,

P.E., Seth Blumsack, Ph.D. The Pennsylvania
Marcellus Natural Gas Industry: Status,
Economic Impact, and Future Potential July
2011.

847-768-0795; Trevor.Smith@gastechnology.org
www.gastechnology.org

Fisher, Bill. Bureau of Economic Geology

Perry, Kent. Summary of GTI Coalbed Methane
Research Program and Review of Related Tight
Gas Sands and Devonian Shale Programs. Sept.
12, 2001
Rogner, H. H., An Assessment of World
Hydrocarbon Resources, Annual Review of
Energy and Environment, 1997
Vello A. Kuuskraa, et. al., Worldwide Gas Shales and
Unconventional Gas: A Status Report, Dec. 2009.
Vello A. Kuuskraa and Energy Information
Administration., World Shale Gas Resources: An
Initial Assessment of 14 Regions Outside the
United States, April 2011. www.eia.doe.gov
White House, Office of the Press Secretary,
Statement on U.S.-China shale gas resource
initiative, 17 November 2009
Yergin, Daniel and Robert Ineson. Americas Shale
Gas Revolution. Wall Street Journal, Nov. 2009

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Unlocking Your Potential

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