The shale gas challenge (Issues in shale gas exploration)

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The shale gas challenge (Issues in shale gas exploration)

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• Shale gas and oil: Shale gas & oil is defined as natural gas & oil from shale formations. In India, the basins with possible large reserves are : Cambay, Gondwana, KG, Cauvery, Indo-Gangetic, Assam & Assam-Arakan Basins.
• A major policy change by GoI: August 01, 2018 was the start of a new policy that allowed previously contracted areas to be used for extracting unconventional hdyrocarbons also (including shale gas). These are both private and govt. firms that had these contracts for conventional hydrocarbons.   CONCEPT
• The difference in these: Conventional HC are easily available through permeable rocks, but shale gas is inside less permeable rock. So a shale fluid is injected at high pressure (water + chemical + sand) to break such rock. That is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Note that India is facing a grave water availability challenge already.
• Huge water injection: 50 to 90 lac litres of water is injected per extraction operation, a great amount. So the DGHC (Directorate General of Hydrocarbons) issued warning guidelines clearly, but it made EIA process responsible for tackling it. The catch? EIA process does not distinguish unconventional from conventional 
• Both DGHC and MoEFCC still working at it: They both realise the problem of huge water wastage, but final directions are not out. DGHC is unable to tell the total water used per unit of shale gas, over a well’s lifetime. Some US studies indicate horrible amounts needed over time, and quantities growing regularly (in same wells).
• Shale rocks adjacent to Aquifers: The aquifers contain our drinking water. It is possible that during fracking, methane poisoning of aquifers happens, affecting drinking and irrigation water. At least a 600 m distance is advised between shale gas fracture zones and the aquifers.
• Flowback water: Typicall,y 5 to 50% of pumped-in water comes back to surface, as oil and gas is pumped from the well. This water is poisoned with methane, and recycling is tough (compared to normal wastewater). The DGHC guidelines are silent on treatment of this hazardous waste 
• What is needed? A comprehensive sector-specific EIA guideline on unconventional hydrocarbon extraction is urgently needed to ensure sustainable shale gas extraction, as well as not harming groundwater needs of Indians.
• Summary : The new hydrocarbon policy allowing shale gas extraction is silent on water usage, and waste water management, indicating the urgent need for a sector-specific EIA process.

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