Dramatic natural gas growth seen in unconventional plays

Unconventional sources of natural gas will account for more than half of North American supply by 2020, despite a current industry downturn, according to a new report by a Calgary-based energy consultant.

Ziff Energy Group says unconventional plays from shales, coalbed methane and other sources will account for 53 percent of U.S. and Canadian natural gas supplies within 11 years — up from 30 percent in 2000.

Energy companies have long known about extensive reserves trapped in compact shales like the Barnett in Texas, the Fayetteville in Arkansas and the Marcellus in Appalachia. But until recent technological developments, they have been unable to tap them.

Advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to break apart the compact rock, as well as rising natural gas prices through most of the last decade, allowed shales to become a viable natural gas source, the report says.

New York Times