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Page added on September 3, 2014
Water Shortages Will Limit Global Shale Gas Development, Especially in China
If all the world’s theoretically recoverable shale gas could be developed, our supply of clean-burning natural gas would expand 47 percent—lowering both greenhouse gas emissions and energy prices, according to estimates from the Washington-based World Resources Institute.
The hitch is that the process for extracting shale gas, called hydraulic fracking, sucks up as much as 25 million liters (6.6 million gallons) of water for each well. A report from WRI (PDF), “Global Shale Gas Development: Water Availability and Business Risks,” released on Tuesday, shows that roughly 38 percent of the world’s shale gas and oil lies buried beneath water-stressed regions. This means that extraction efforts will be difficult and expensive, as well as economically and environmentally risky.
China has the world’s largest estimated deposits of shale gas (1,115 trillion cubic feet), according to studies by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Yet China is also one of the world’s most naturally water-stressed nations: It is home to a fifth of the world’s population but only 7 percent of its freshwater resources. WRI’s team compared maps of China’s potential shale plays with available water and found that 61 percent of China’s shale lies in arid regions. (China recently slashed in half its mid-term projections for shale gas development, from a goal of over 60 billion cubic meters annually to 30 billion cm by 2020.)
Australia, Russia, and Brazil are the countries with the largest estimated shale gas deposits; they have plentiful water supplies, too. Argentina, which has an estimated 802 trillion cubic feet of shale gas—second only to China in volume—has only low to medium water stress. Most of the shale deposits in India, which faces steeply rising energy demands (and a dire need for fuels that produce less smog than diesel and coal), are located in regions that already face water shortages.
Roughly 386 million people around the world—more than the total population of the U.S.—live in areas identified as potential shale plays, according to the report. But diverting significant water resources in those regions would affect local economies and the environment. About 40 percent of the water used in those areas currently goes to agriculture, with about the same percentage to industry; a fifth of the water goes directly to household use.
14 Comments on "Water Shortages Will Limit Global Shale Gas Development, Especially in China"
rockman on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 8:19 am
“If all the world’s theoretically recoverable shale gas could be developed…”. Those astronomical numbers represent “technically recoverable” volumes. That recovery (the estimate itself is very questionable IMHO) doesn’t factor in cost. And those costs, in addition to the drilling and frac’ng of the wells, includes the cost of the water. China can acquire all the water they will ever need to frac. But it will be at a cost…probably at cost so high most of those technically recoverable NG may never be produced. And waterless frac tech is being developed…at a cost.
All of which emphasizes the irrelevance of tossing out technically reserves from areas where very little drilling has been done. “IF”: one of the most abused words today with respect to energy IMHO.
Makati1 on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 8:37 am
I think China will get all the natural gas it needs from Russia and maybe Iran and/or Brazil, or even Australia.
I find it interesting that pre-“Asian Pivot”, China was presented as all positive in the news. Now, it is presented as all negative. Ditto for Russia. Interesting how that spin works, coming from the West. Or am I the only one who has noticed?
Plantagenet on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 10:59 am
Water shortages are NOT a hindrance to fracking. Technologies exist for waterless fracking. It is even possible to frack using oil and NG from the same formations that are being fracked.
Kenz300 on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 12:47 pm
Water shortages, food shortages, declining fish stocks, an unemployment crisis, a Climate Change crisis and an OVER POPULATION crisis. Yet the world continues to add 80 million more mouths to feed, clothe, house and provide energy for every year.
Too many people and too few resources.
Endless population growth is not sustainable.
Overpopulation facts – the problem no one will discuss: Alexandra Paul at TEDxTopanga – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNxctzyNxC0
surf on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 1:22 pm
You don’t need drinking water to frack a well. Use sea water instead. last I looked the oceans were still full. Wast water from a sewage plant also works.
Northwest Resident on Wed, 3rd Sep 2014 1:39 pm
Using sea water to frack in North Dakota — not a bad idea. Just pump that sea water a couple thousand miles from the Atlantic or Pacific oceans — no problem, why didn’t they think of that already? Waterless fracking? Sure, can do, all it takes is more technology (more conventional oil to power the process, more expense) — they should ALL be doing waterless fracking. Why aren’t they? After all, we know that fracking companies have plenty of profit margin to sacrifice to increased technology — they are all debt free and rolling in the profits from their endeavors — just ask our resident NG/fracking cheerleading squad (Plant, Nony and Smurf). Oh, and ignore facts, such as the EAI report that concludes fracking companies are immersed in exponentially growing debt, and the many analyses on this board and elsewhere that prove to anyone but an idiot that fracking is a break-even endeavor at best or a big time money loser when all factors are considered.
Apneaman on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 1:09 am
Good eye Makati1. It’s laughable all the shit the Western spin doctors are blaming Russia and China for. Even more laughable are how many sheep get all worked up over it. Next week they will be pining high fructose corn syrup on Putin.
Davy on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 7:08 am
Come on Apnea, does that mean you and others here can counter spin and blame everything on the US? I find that blame games shows low IQ. It is easy to blame and criticize. It does not take much grey matter to do the blaming nor for those that hear it as the truth. The real mental part is rising above the blame and in an objectively and scientific way look at the whole picture. Complexity is not black and white with linear thinking of the blame game. I find anti-Americans here as low IQ. The people I respect are the ones that are balanced, fair, and above ideologue. They ignore the propaganda and ideologue of the Anti-Americans here and in this respect they are above me. I feel compelled to defend my country and people not because I think Americans are without allot of blame but because this site has so many low IQ blame game contestants. A constructive criticism of America in context to the complex and interconnected nature of the global world is something I am willing to engage in. I want the truth not what is best for America. America has been hijacked by a mafia of a few but don’t insult my intelligence and tell me this is not true throughout this global world especially in china and Russia. You anti-Americans should grow up from your childhood blame games.
Apneaman on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 10:15 am
Can you quote me where I “blamed” anyone for anything? No you can’t. You want to make your point so bad, you want to be “right” so badly that your putting words in my mouth. Stop it. Also, you confused ideologue and ideology twice, made spelling and grammatical errors, so your the last person who should be judging IQ.
Davy on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 10:22 am
Fair enough apnea, point taken. If you forgive me for my demonstration of my normal learning disabilities I would still like to know if you are on board with my message or are you like the expat from the P’s on a mission to smear the US reputation?
Apneaman on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 3:36 pm
The US needs no help from me smearing it’s reputation. Whether it be a country (empire) or an individual, if you proclaim to the world for decades that you are #1, that you are exceptional then you open yourself up for examination and critique. It goes with the territory. Thick skin is a sign of maturity. Pretending nothing is wrong when there’s a lot wrong and attacking all critics, to me is a sign of a country out of control. Many folks in America are being thrown under the bus so an ever shrinking number can pretend everything is normal. The patriotic thing would be to humble up and salvage what can be salvaged before it’s too late. Don’t put too much stock in IQ, it’s mostly elitists bullshit.
Davy on Thu, 4th Sep 2014 5:06 pm
Apnea, tell me what country you are from so I can know how wonderful it must be there and how moral and ethical the people must be. You are fooling yourself Sir if you think your people are any better. You are the one in need of humility. I don’t give a shit about IQ but I can tell you people who are into unbalanced critiques of other counties tend to be of the lower IQ sorts. I am not say that of you just generalizing. No doubt the US and its people are a mess but please show me anything better and I will pack my bags and move.
Nony on Fri, 5th Sep 2014 1:18 am
Water is cheap.
Hubbert and the other peakers have been way, way, WAY off on natural gas peak predictions.
NG is much more common than oil.
Oh…and the Marcellus has kicked Art Berman’s butt. And knocked Rock out of NG GOM drilling. Go Marcellus go! Lots more left there. It is actually takeaway constrained, causing massive deltas in local pricing. HUGE amount of gas left at sub 5 dollars.
P.s. and here comes the Utica!
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-03/shell-finds-stretch-utica-shale-boundary-many-miles-east.html
Go gas go!
Nony on Sat, 6th Sep 2014 5:13 am
Go Utica:
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2014/09/natural-gas-production-in-the-utica-shale-has-increased-almost-7x-in-2-years-and-its-potential-just-got-even-bigger/