On August 6, a lecture was held at the head office in Tokyo organized by the Raw Materials Procurement Center. A representative from Mitsui & Co., Ltd. gave the highly informative lecture on the theme “The Present and Future of Shale Gas.”
What is Shale Gas?
 Shale gas is natural gas that is found trapped within tiny fractures of shale rock. Compared with the scale of typical oil and gas fields (several to dozens of kilometers), shale gas strata are distributed over much wider areas (several dozens to several hundreds of kilometers). Also, it will be possible to deliver shale gas for sale through existing pipeline networks. For these reasons, shale gas has long received great attention as a potential new energy source.
In North America, the move toward commercialization of shale gas is accelerating along with the development of innovative techniques to combat gas prices, which have been soaring since around 2000.
<< Technical innovations behind commercialization of shale gas in North America >>
- Horizontal Well Drilling
Advancement of the technique of drilling horizontal wells along strata of shale gas has made it possible to get at much wider areas of shale gas reserves.
- Hydraulic Fracturing
A technique of forming fractures in shale gas strata by injecting pressurized liquid into a wellbore. The technique secures a flow channel for the gas and is said to improve productivity.
The lecturer talked in detail about projections for demand for natural gas and liquefied natural gas, the effect the shale gas revolution has had on the balance of gas supply and demand, and future prospects. The lecture was followed by a lively question and answer period and exchange of opinions between the lecturer and the lecture participants. It was a very meaningful time that gave everyone an opportunity to focus on world affairs moving into the future.
 
|
