Report: US gas supply 20% higher than previously believed
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Earlier this month, the Potential Gas Committee released the highest assessment it ever has on the amount of producible natural gas in the United States, according to E&E News. The group of industry experts announced the amount of producible natural gas is up roughly 20% since its last assessment two years ago.
The increase of 557 trillion cubic feet (tcf) reported is the highest assessment in the Potential Gas Committee’s 54-year history. The organization puts total recoverable resources at 3,374 tcf — enough to sustain current levels of U.S. natural gas consumption for over a century.
The latest evaluation “confirms that the U.S. has an abundance of natural gas” in onshore and offshore reservoirs, said Alexei Milkov, the group’s executive director, in a press release.
Learn more: E&E News > U.S. gas supply 20% higher than previously thought — report
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.