Hydraulic Fracturing: The Forgotten Key to Natural Gas Supply

Abstract By most accounts, natural gas demand in the United States (U.S.) is expected to significantly increase during the next two decades, from 23 trillion ft3 in 2000 to over 33 Tcf in 2020. The Energy Information Administration projects that 22,000 gas wells will have to be drilled in 2020 to meet this demand - up substantially from the 15,200 wells successfully drilled and completed in 2000. Further, a significant portion of the U.S. future supply of natural gas is expected to be produced from these unconventional sources - formations that typically require hydraulic fracturing to produce at economical rates. Given this forecasted scenario, a critical and comprehensive assessment of the role that hydraulic fracturing plays in supplying natural gas in the U.S. has been initiated.