Current State and Prospects of Shale Gas Production

The article compares the technologically recoverable reserves of shale gas as an unconventional resource of hydrocarbon raw materials in various countries of the world. An assessment is made of the use of horizontal well drilling in combination with hydraulic fracturing of the formation during shale gas production, characterized by the level of technology that allows the most efficient extraction of this resource in the US, Canada, China and Argentina. The article outlines perspectives for the development of shale gas in the near and distant future and shows the obstacles to the development of the oil shale industry in some countries. The basic geo-ecological problems in the development of shale gas: the contamination of surface water and soil, groundwater pollution, gas emissions, seismic risks. The ways of solving these problems are primarily through the use of new field development technologies, the implementation of integrated monitoring safety equipment, taking into account local and regional conditions and the condition of the geological environment.