Shale gas facts for kids

Shale gas is a type of natural gas that is found deep underground. It's trapped inside a kind of rock called shale. Think of shale as a very fine-grained rock, almost like hardened mud. The gas gets stuck in tiny spaces within this rock.

A map showing where shale gas and oil might be found around the world, as of 2011.

Shale gas has become a really important energy source, especially in the United States. At the start of the 2000s, only about 1% of the natural gas used in the U.S. came from shale. But by 2010, this jumped to over 20%! Experts predict that by 2035, nearly half of the natural gas in the U.S. could come from shale.

Many people believe that shale gas could help increase the world's energy supply. For example, China is thought to have the largest shale gas reserves on Earth.

Shale Gas and the Environment

The Obama government in the U.S. thought that using more shale gas could help reduce pollution. This is because natural gas, when burned, produces less carbon dioxide than coal. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. In fact, in 2012, carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. dropped to their lowest level in 20 years.

Comparing Emissions

Studies have looked at how much greenhouse gas is released when we use shale gas. This is called "life-cycle" emissions, meaning they look at everything from getting the gas out of the ground to using it. Most studies show that shale gas produces similar amounts of greenhouse gases as regular natural gas. Both are much cleaner than coal, usually producing about half the greenhouse gas emissions of coal.

However, one study from 2011 by researchers at Cornell University suggested that shale gas emissions might be as high as coal. But more recent studies, like those from Natural Resources Canada (2012) and a group including the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2012), have confirmed that shale gas is much cleaner than coal.

Future of Shale Gas

Some studies in 2011 pointed out that some shale gas wells produce less gas over time. This made some people wonder if the total amount of shale gas we can get might be lower than expected. However, finding shale gas has also led to discovering new sources of "shale oil," which is another type of oil trapped in shale rock.

Images for kids

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  As of 2013, the US, Canada, and China were the only countries producing shale gas in large amounts. The US and Canada were the only ones where it was a big part of their gas supply.

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  A drilling rig used to get gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.

See also

In Spanish: Gas de lutita para niños