Enough gas to supply the world for 500 years

Newspapers, governments, and social media blogs predict the end of fossil fuels. But how much energy is really left?

Without AppIntel how would you find competitors’ reserves estimates?  With AppIntel you just need to enter into the KiPbox shale reserves.

One gas plant operator estimates huge natural gas reserves from the Montney shale in vicinity of his plant.

See his shale reserve estimates in his application documents. Download them now from our self-serve web portal.

Natural gas has been a reliable source of energy for many years, powering industries, households, and transportation systems. Natural gas heats homes, runs city buses, and generates 95% of the electricity in Alberta.

However, media and governments express concerns about environmental sustainability. Protesters chant and governments regulate energy transition to wind and solar.

How long will shale gas reserves last?

Industry has a deeper question: How long will world gas reserves last?

Fossil fuels face criticism that they are not sustainable, yet an engineering supply study suggests that technically recoverable natural gas reserves may last for another 500 years.

Study indicates 500 year reserve life

Dr. Zhenzhen Dong estimated worldwide technical recoverable natural gas at 69 QCF. Dr. Dong’s paper is included with the application documents available above. (One quadrillion cubic feet is a thousand trillion cubic feet. It is also equivalent to a million BCF).

Unconventional natural gas has a reserve life index of almost five hundred years

Natural gas in use for one hundred and twenty years

The world has been seriously using natural gas for lighting, cooking and heating since the first commercial pipelines for 123 years early last century.  That means we could use natural gas for four times longer than we have already been using it.

In her work, Dr. Dong includes resources from shale gas, tight gas, and coalbed methane. She does not include natural gas hydrates because they are not yet technically recoverable. She also ignores existing conventional gas reserves.

Technically recoverable reserves is higher than economically recoverable. Economically recoverable reserves maybe 20-50% of this value. But if natural gas demand is present economics will find a way.

Abundant Reserves

One of the main reasons natural gas is projected to last for such an extended period is the abundance of global resources. Over the past decade, significant discoveries of unconventional natural gas have been made around the world

The US geological society has created a world wide database of continuous resources. The database can be accessed from a global geographical information system. “Continuous resources” are in shale source rock according to the petroleum system model.

Natural gas reserves are so plentiful in the United States that gas commodity prices are very low. Gas is cheap because drillers are quickly exploiting gas from shale.

AppIntel Advantage: Keeping abreast of oil and gas activity leading indicators

Regulatory applications are leading indicators of oil and gas activity. You need to know what your competitors are planning – not just what they’re telling the investment community.

Applications contain their plans, justifications and mistakes. Watching their applications will help you keep up with the Joneses

AppIntel help you quickly find opportunities that have already been justified in detail with the regulator by your competitor

Tags: Fracturing, Tight, Exploration, Acquisitions, Facilities

Granger Low   26 May 2023

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