Shale Gas - A Potential Boon for the US Olefins Industry
Reference Code: GDCH0019VPT Publication Date: May 2011
1 Table of Contents 2 Summary
1 Table of Contents.................................................................1 The supply sources for the natural gas industry in the US are
1.1 List of Tables .................................................................1 set to shift from conventional sources to unconventional
1.2 List of Figures ................................................................1 sources such as shale gas. Recently, huge stocks of shale gas
2 Summary .............................................................................1 have been discovered in the US shale formations. After the
3 Shale Gas: Causing Dynamic Changes in the US ...............1 discovery of the viable and sustainable hydraulic fracturing
3.1 What is Shale Gas?.......................................................1
technology and horizontal drilling method, there has been a
3.2 Shale Gas in the US ......................................................2
3.3 Huge Shale Gas Reserves Advantageous for the US ...3 boost in the potential natural gas reserves in the US. Shale gas
3.4 Concerns Regarding Shale Gas Production ..................3 is expected to have a huge impact on the US energy,
3.5 The Expected Change in the US Olefins Industry Due to transportation and petrochemical industries. It has many
Shale Gas Reserves .....................................................3 advantages, such as lower greenhouse gas emissions
3.6 Conclusion.....................................................................5 compared to coal and oil, and it is more economical as it is
4 Appendix ..............................................................................5
abundantly available. It will help the US economy by creating
4.1 Methodology ..................................................................5
4.1.1 Coverage..............................................................5 new job opportunities and reducing dependence on fuel rich
4.1.2 Secondary Research ............................................5 countries. However, there are a few disadvantages with this
4.1.3 Primary Research ................................................5 new feedstock source such as environmental concerns,
4.1.4 Expert Panel Validation ........................................6 increase in water utilization, more land usage and initial high
4.2 Contact Us.....................................................................6 cost of exploration. However, after thorough scrutiny of all these
4.3 Disclaimer......................................................................6 factors, many US olefins manufacturers have made plans to
make full use of this shale gas boon and many new olefins
projects are being planned.
1.1 List of Tables
3 Shale Gas - Causing Dynamic Changes
Table 1: US Olefins Industry, Olefins Plants Shut, MMTPA,
2008-2009 ................................................................4 in the US
Table 2: US Olefins Industry, Planned Olefins Projects .........4
3.1 What is Shale Gas?
Shale rock is a type of sedimentary rock formed from clay and
1.2 List of Figures other sediments that are compacted together by the pressure of
the layers of rock above them. The special characteristic of
Figure 1: US Natural Gas Industry, Schematic Geology of
shale rocks is the trapped natural gas within it. The gas
Natural Gas Resources ............................................2
Figure 2: US Natural Gas Industry, Major Shale Gas Basins in obtained from this shale formation is called shale gas. The
The US, 2010 ...........................................................2 existence of shale gas has been known for many years, with
Figure 3: US Natural Gas Industry, The US Natural Gas the first well being drilled in the 1820s, but a viable and
Production From Major Shale Plays, Billion Cubic sustainable mode of extraction of this potential source of natural
Feet (Bcf/d), 2003-2020............................................2 gas has only come into existence in the past few decades.
Many energy experts believe that the discovery of shale gas
reserves will change the entire natural gas scenario of the
world.
Market Analysis Alert
GDCH0019VPT /MAY 2011/ Page 1
Shale Gas - A Potential Boon for the US Olef