Natural gas from U.S. shale could double

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (UPI) — An energy association said Friday that production of natural gas from shale deposits in the United States could be doubled over the next decade.

The Natural Gas Supply Association said its calculations indicated that 25 percent of U.S. natural gas demand could be satisfied by the exploiting shale beds located in Appalachia, the Barnett Permian Basin of Texas and other areas of the nation.

Shale gas is locked in the dense shale rock and is released through a process known as hydraulic fracturing in which water and sand are pumped into a well and build up enough pressure to fracture the rock.

United Press International