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Home / IAS Preparation / Shale Gas UPSC

Shale Gas: Composition, Extraction, Advantages & More | UPSC Notes

Last Updated on Mar 21, 2025
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Shale Gas is an unconventional form of energy which is trapped within shale formations. It is a natural gas and is a mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbon gases that are produced mainly from the decomposition of organic matter over a large period of time.

Shale Gas is covered in the Science and Technology Section of the UPSC CSE Exam and is one of the most important topics for the UPSC Exam. Questions from this can be asked in UPSC CSE Preliminary Exam and UPSC CSE Mains Exam in General Studies Paper 3. We’ll cover in this article in detail all the important information about Shale Gas for UPSC CSE Exam.

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General Studies Paper I

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India’s Shale Gas Potential, Energy Security

What is Shale Gas?

Shale Gas is a natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. It is an unconventional natural resource that forms within the organic-rich shale source rock. Shale is a soft stratified mechanically formed sedimentary rock and is formed from the compaction of small old rocks containing minerals and mud trapped beneath the earth’s surface. These Shales are rich sources of petroleum and natural gas.

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Composition of Shale Gas

Shale Gas is a mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbon gases that are produced from the decomposition of organic matter (plant and animal remains). It consists of 70% to 90% of Methane (CH4). Other hydrocarbons present in this gas are natural gas liquids (NGLs) like ethane, propane, and butane, and it also contains carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.

Component

Percentage by Volume

Methane

92.61

Ethane

3.78

Propane

1.42

Butane

0.04

iso-Butane

0.02

Pentane

0.02

iso-Pentane

0.01

Hexane

0.01

Nitrogen

1.35

Carbon Dioxide

0.67

Carbon Monoxide

0.03

Oxygen

0.03

Hydrogen Sulfide

0.01

Read the article on Renewable Energy Generation Problems and Challenges!

Extraction of Shale Gas

Two major drilling techniques that are used in the shale gas extraction process are:

  • Horizontal Drilling: This is a technique in which first of all a vertical well is drilled to a targeted region and then from there the drilling is bent to a borewell stretching through the shale gas reservoir exposing it for extraction
  • Hydraulic Fracturing: This technique of Shale gas extraction is also called fracking and hydrofracking. In this technique water, chemicals and sand are pumped into the well drilled to unlock hydrocarbon gases trapped in shale formations by opening cracks in the rock and exposing shale gas.

Environmental Risks of Shale Gas Extraction

The major environmental risks and environmental impacts related to the extraction of this gas include

  • Contamination of water,
  • Contamination of aquifers,
  • Degradation of air quality,
  • Degradation of soil,
  • Habitat loss,
  • Threat of seismic activity,
  • Methane emissions and the threat of methane migration into aquifers.

Read the article on Green Energy Open Access!

Advantages of Shale Gas

Shale Gas is important because its production has opened the doors of much-needed natural gas energy when we are heading towards development and facing a shortage of natural energy.

Some advantages of shale gas are:

  • Increased domestic production of energy resources often results in larger supplies and lower prices of energy and thus boosts the development of the nation.
  • A reduced dependency on other natural energy sources and a shift towards this gas will increase the energy security of the nation.
  • Also developing domestic shale gas resources will create additional jobs.
  • It is a quite flexible fuel. Its usage varies from heating homes to running industrial boilers.
  • It provides feedstock for petrochemical industries.
  • Reduce dependence on specific energy sources.
  • It can be used instead of fossil fuels, which are more polluting.
  • It can cause oil prices to fall as it’ll reduce dependency on oil as a source of energy. Thus, it will reduce dependence on oil exporting countries. It will positively affect the oil economy.
  • It is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels and it burns efficiently and emits only around half the carbon dioxide emissions from Coal.
  • It emits almost no oxides of sulfur (SOx) and Nitrogen (NOx) or even soot when burned.
  • It burns to leave no ashes or other residues.
  • In the future, it can decrease energy costs significantly because massive production of this gas would likely cause a significant decline in natural gas prices.

Read the article on the Energy Crisis!

Shale Gas Reserves in India

There are no exact estimates of Shale gas in India. Several agencies have provided different estimates related to shale gas areas and reserves in India. These estimates are:

Name of the Agency

Estimate in Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF)

M/s Schlumberger

300 to 2100 TCF

Energy Information Administration (EIA), USA (4 basins- Cambay Onland, Damodar, Krishna Godavari Onland & Cauvery Onland),)

584 TCF

ONGC 6 basins

187.5 TCF

Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) 6 sub-basins

45 TCF

United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 3 basins

6.1 TCF

Read the article on Natural Energy Resources!

Major Challenges in Shale Gas Exploration

The exploration of this gas has some major challenges. The extraction of this gas is not only challenging but also poses a great threat to the environment and human life.

  • Shale gas geology and extraction require a large cover of land and this is challenging for the countries which have heavy pressure on land due to high population.
  • The major techniques involved in the extraction of this gas are Horizontal Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing and both these techniques pose serious environmental threats.
  • Hydraulic Fracturing also called Fracking involves drilling into the earth and directing a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at a rock layer in order to release the gas inside, and this injection of fluid at high pressure into the rock can cause the earth tremors (small movements in the earth’s surface).
  • Fracking uses huge amounts of water, which is transported to the site of Shale exploitation at a significant environmental cost.
  • Drilling a large number of wells will lead to a greater interface with the communities, environment, and effort.
  • Contamination of aquifers that support life is also a challenge.
  • Even the fear of gas escaping through these fractures and contaminating the groundwater is a cause of concern.
  • The drilling done for this gas has significant water supply issues. The drilling and fracturing of wells for their extraction require large amounts of water. In some areas of the country, significant use of water for the production of this gas may affect the availability of water for other uses and can affect aquatic habitats.
  • The techniques of drilling and fracturing also produce large amounts of wastewater, which contains dissolved contaminants and even chemicals, and thus it requires treatment before disposal or reuse.

Read the article on Wind Energy in India!

Government Initiatives Towards Shale Gas Exploration

The government of India (GoI) laid down policy guidelines for the exploration and exploitation of this gas and oil in India by National Oil Companies (NOCs) in the year 2013.

  • The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas of the Government of India initially granted permission for Shale gas and oil exploration and exploitation only by NOCs (ONGC & OIL)
  • The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has identified 6 basins as potentially shale gas-bearing and these are
    • Cambay in Gujarat,
    • Assam-Arakan in the Northeast,
    • Gondwana in central India,
    • Krishna-Godavari in Andhra Pradesh,
    • Cauvery in southern India and
    • The Indo-Gangetic plains.
  • In the year 2018, in June the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas amended the Petroleum and Natural Gases Rules 1959 and included Shale in the definition of Petroleum.
  • The same year, the Indian government allowed private and government players to explore and exploit unconventional hydrocarbons (including shale gas) in contract areas that were primarily allocated for extracting conventional hydrocarbons.

Way Forward

India, having great demand for energy, needs to explore Shale Gas.

  • Guidelines keeping in consideration sustainable development need to be implemented.
  • All the stakeholders – from companies that will lead the shale gas exploration to the last local who will be affected by the exploitation of this gas, need to be taken on board and an inclusive policy should be drafted keeping in consideration that no one is harmed.
  • Environmental threats should be assessed and exploitation of this gas should be under check.
  • A policy on fracking should be drafted and research and development should be done to reduce its il-impacts

Conclusion

The increasing demand for energy worldwide has led countries to seek alternative energy sources to the ones being used. In recent years, much scientific research on shale gas production has been carried out. It is one of the unconventional energy sources and it is considered an important energy source thus a safer and more responsible way to access this gas needs to be developed.

Key Takeaways for UPSC Aspirants

  • Definition and Features: Shale gas refers to natural gas trapped within shale formations and has low permeability, meaning highly technologically advanced extraction procedures such as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling are necessary for free-flow gas.
  • Process of Extraction: Hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting water, sand, and chemical liquids at high pressure, making fractures of shales and leading to free-flowing gases from a well.
  • Reserves: Large significant reserves in the USA (Marcellus Shale, Barnett Shale), China (Sichuan Basin), Argentina (Vaca Muerta), and Canada (Montney Formation) will provide global reserves and production.
  • Energy Security: In terms of impact on energy security, shale gas reduces dependence on conventional fossil fuels, boosts energy independence, and diversifies the energy mix of consuming nations.
  • Economic Benefit: Shale gas production can impact a local economy due to employment, infrastructure investments, and royalties and taxes brought in.
  • Environmental Concerns: Those include groundwater contamination by fracking fluids, induced seismicity, immense water usage, and methane emission into the environment; these should have regulations in place.
  • Policy and Regulation: All countries that plan on extracting shale gas will develop policies, regulations, and official guidelines on environmental impacts, safe operation, and resources sustainability.
  • India’s Potential: Shale gas holds the greatest promise for India in such basins as Cambay, Krishna-Godavari, Cauvery, and Damodar Valley. The discoveries are at a very exploratory stage. Pilot projects and policy initiatives are being introduced to test the viability.

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Shale Gas UPSC FAQs

The United States is the largest producer of shale gas.

It has as such no major negative impact on the environment. However, it emits Carbon Dioxide. Its extraction poses great environmental threats and affects groundwater availability and habitat and natural resources of the region.

No, it is not the same as fracking. Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is the technique to extract this shale gas.

It is found in India in the regions of Cambay in Gujarat, Assam-Arakan in the Northeast, Gondwana in central India, Krishna-Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, Cauvery in southern India, and The Indo-Gangetic plains.

It is a mixture of Methane(80-90%), Ethane, Propane, Butane, iso-Butane, Pentane, iso-Pentane, Hexane, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Oxygen and Hydrogen Sulphide
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