We are always looking for more sources of natural gas and the best way to find natural gas currently is b looking in shale deposits. We are doing this with a process called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” as it is more commonly known as. There’s great controversy in this practice as well as great potential to reach larger deposits of natural gas which can then be used as fuel.
Going Forward with Shale Gas
Currently shale gas is a popular way to get natural gas out of the ground but this may be stalled as more environmental groups oppose the fracking methods as they feel it harms the environment in the process. The biggest threat to the production of of shale gas environmental concerns which are only going to continue as more people oppose this method of natural gas production in many areas of the world.
It’s said that shale gas production harms the ground water when the gas is extracted from the ground and if this can be linked to shale gas production then the entire industry may collapse a sit won’t be able to stand up to environmental pressures. There have been instances when this was proven but there’s no conclusive evidence yet that it harms the ground water. The industry still has the approval of government to continue the practice but spreading environmental concerns may block the expansion of shale gas expansion and lead ot confrontation such as the recent incident in Rexton, New Brunswick between natives and police over shake gas production. There was real violence here and there has been violence in other locations as well over this type of gas production.
The main reason that shale gas is being extracted is it will lead to more energy freedom for people in the countries where the shale gas is extracted and less dependence upon foreign sources of energy. If the US continues to extract shale gas it could become self-sufficient in oil production by 2030 as well as an oil exporter but this could hurt the markets of the Middle East a great deal.
There will be more demand for oil and natural gas from countries such as India, China, and the Middle East in the coming years and there’s a need for more gas production which shake gas can provide. The consuming classes of these countries are growing at a rapid rate. The need for more sources of energy is what fuels the shale gas growth but at the same time, the environmental concerns are putting a large damper on production. Many communities and locations simply don’t want shale gas and they are willing to fight over it as was seen in Rexton New Brunswick recently if these protests grow and get violent then shale gas production may grind to a halt simply for safety reasons.
There also needs to be more infrastructure to support shale gas which could create a lot of jobs and there needs to be more gas-fired power stations built. This will cause more demand for shale gas and cause the prices to rise. The production of shale gas could however help the US economy and get it off of its dependence on foreign oil.
Shale gas could have a bright future but many questions are left unanswered. Extracting this gas can create jobs and reduce the dependence upon foreign energy sources but at the same time, there’s a lot of environmental concerns and hostility towards shale gas production. The future of shale gas production isn’t a clear one and concerns about shale gas will need to be addressed moving forward into the future.
