Could shale gas meet energy deficit: its current status and future prospects

The production of gas from conventional reserves has shown steep decline, whereas the demand of hydrocarbons as energy source is rising. Hence, the resulting deficit of energy can be met by developing the unconventional energy resources. Among all unconventional energy resources, shale gas is relatively the potential source of energy to be developed in a sustainable way. However, the degree of uncertainty is large for sustainable development of shale gas reservoirs. The shale gas found is held in extremely low-permeability formations having poor porosity; the free gas and the adsorbed gas are also found together. Therefore, the production mechanisms of shale gas reservoirs are quiet complex than the conventional gas reservoirs. Hence, the shale gas resources sustainable development remain ambiguous. In order to find sustainable way of exploitation of shale gas resources, this manuscript reviews in detail, the shale gas potential in Pakistan and the world in terms of its distribution, production mechanism, policy implications and development trends.