UK Shale Gas Resources Doubled in New Report

The British Geological Survey (BGS) doubled its estimate of shale gas resource (gas-in-place) in part of central Britain, reads the note released on Thursday, adding that the central estimate for the resource is over 1,300 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

"The estimate is in the form of a range to reflect geological uncertainty. The lower limit of the range is 822 tcf and the upper limit is 2281 tcf, but the central estimate for the resource is 1329 tcf," reads the note. 

The BGS conducted the estimate in association with the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) on the area between Wexham and Blackpool in the west, and Nottingham and Scarborough in the east. 

"Shale gas clearly has potential in Britain but it will require geological and engineering expertise, investment and protection of the environment. It will also need organisations like the BGS to play their part in providing up-to-date and accurate information on resources and the environment to the public, industry and Government," reads the press release.

Recently, the US government’s Energy Information Administration revised upward its estimates of UK shale gas resources, reporting that ‘technically recoverable’ shale gas reserves are at 26 trillion cubic feet (tcf). These figures refer to the amount of shale gas that can be extracted with the current technologies. They do not consider that these resources may be not economic viable or that technology could improve.

The British Geological Survey referred to gas-in-place, which is the gas in the ground. The proportion of gas that it may be possible to extract depends on economic, geological and social factors.

"Today's news from the Geological Survey confirms 1,300 trillion cubic feet of (shale resources), which is double previous estimates," Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told Parliament.

 According to the EIA, the annual UK gas consumption of gas is about 3 trillion cubic feet.