Shale Gas in Europe

Horsfield, Brian ¹; Schulz, Hans-Martin ¹; Kapp, Ingo ¹
(1)GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.

Test drilling for shale gas (oil) is underway in Europe. While the geological setting is fundamentally different to that of the USA, complexity being the rule rather than the exception, opportunities appear abundant. In Poland it is mainly the Silurian, in England the Namurian and Wealden, in France the Jurassic, in Sweden the Cambrian and in Germany the Carboniferous, Jurassic and Wealden that are in focus. GASH is the first major research initiative in Europe that is focussed on shale gas, and comprises two main elements: a European Black Shale Database (EBSD) and research on the factors governing shale gas formation and occurrence. The EBSD is being built by a team of geological surveys. Key well attributes stored in the database include depth, thickness, TOC, type of organic matter, maturity, gas shows and kicks, inorganic geochemical data, sedimentary facies, and so on. Well logs, core availability and seismic information are stored as meta-data. The research projects are focussed on the two basic geological variables establishing viability, namely gas in place (GIP) and the delivery of gas to the wellbore. The Cambrian Alum Shale from Sweden and Denmark, the Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale from Central Germany, and Carboniferous black shales from the UK in the west via the Netherlands to Germany in the east are the natural laboratories for the research programme.

There are additional hurdles to overcome when it comes to exploiting European shale gas. Costs per well are still higher than in the US, the rig count is dramatically lower, and mining regulations are certainly tighter. Of particular importance is the public’s perception of how drilling fluids may pose a threat to aquifers and surface ecosystems. Transparency in operations and staying in close touch with all stakeholders will be of paramount importance if technologically proven reserves are to be exploited. Environmental and social awareness issues are being pursued as part of the German government funded GeoEn project as well as via ESOP (European Sustainable Operating Practices), a major joint initiative of the Gas Technology Institute, the University of Leoben and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. This presentation will provide a pragmatic perspective to all of the above issues

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90135©2011 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Milan, Italy, 23-26 October 2011.