Prof. Dr. Bernhard Cramer
Interview with Professor Bernhard Cramer, Head of the "Economic Geology of Energy Resources" Department at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover, Germany.
The media is currently full of reports about the search for unconventional gas. Do we need unconventional gas?
Natural gas is the fossil fuel with the highest energy content per unit of CO2. For this reason natural gas is considered an important resource on the path to an energy future in which renewable energies play a greater role. In Germany production from domestic conventional gas resources covers about 15 percent of consumption, so domestic shale gas resources and coal bed methane could make an important contribution to supply security.
What is unconventional gas?
Conventional deposits contain natural gas in porous rock. This gas can be reached by drilling and then flows to the borehole without requiring any further technology. But with unconventional deposits the natural gas is locked underground; it is either dissolved in water, bound to particulate matter or is trapped in highly impermeable rock. Thus, natural gas in unconventional deposits has to be mobilized using special technology before it can be extracted.
Is the search for natural gas in unconventional deposits something new?
No. Indeed, China, Australia, Canada and the USA have been producing large quantities of coal bed methane for years. The production of shale gas has been developing at a rapid rate in the USA for about 10 years. And Germany has been producing tight gas since the middle of the 90's.
Why is the search for unconventional deposits drawing such great interest worldwide now?
When the production of conventional natural gas fell significantly in the USA, it triggered a boom in coal bed methane production, and then a few years ago shale gas. The USA was able to fend off the threat of import dependency this way. Today about half of the natural gas produced in the USA is obtained from unconventional sources. Now many countries are trying to follow the example of the USA and enhance supply security with domestic unconventional natural gas deposits.
Do you consider the exploration and development of unconventional deposits in Germany to be feasible and legitimate?
The use of domestic shale gas deposits could make a valuable contribution to supply security. It is already technically possible to use them today. But we still need to examine whether exploiting these resources is economically and ecologically viable in Germany at the present time.
The media is currently full of reports about the search for unconventional gas. Do we need unconventional gas?
Natural gas is the fossil fuel with the highest energy content per unit of CO2. For this reason natural gas is considered an important resource on the path to an energy future in which renewable energies play a greater role. In Germany production from domestic conventional gas resources covers about 15 percent of consumption, so domestic shale gas resources and coal bed methane could make an important contribution to supply security.
What is unconventional gas?
Conventional deposits contain natural gas in porous rock. This gas can be reached by drilling and then flows to the borehole without requiring any further technology. But with unconventional deposits the natural gas is locked underground; it is either dissolved in water, bound to particulate matter or is trapped in highly impermeable rock. Thus, natural gas in unconventional deposits has to be mobilized using special technology before it can be extracted.
Is the search for natural gas in unconventional deposits something new?
No. Indeed, China, Australia, Canada and the USA have been producing large quantities of coal bed methane for years. The production of shale gas has been developing at a rapid rate in the USA for about 10 years. And Germany has been producing tight gas since the middle of the 90's.
Why is the search for unconventional deposits drawing such great interest worldwide now?
When the production of conventional natural gas fell significantly in the USA, it triggered a boom in coal bed methane production, and then a few years ago shale gas. The USA was able to fend off the threat of import dependency this way. Today about half of the natural gas produced in the USA is obtained from unconventional sources. Now many countries are trying to follow the example of the USA and enhance supply security with domestic unconventional natural gas deposits.
Do you consider the exploration and development of unconventional deposits in Germany to be feasible and legitimate?
The use of domestic shale gas deposits could make a valuable contribution to supply security. It is already technically possible to use them today. But we still need to examine whether exploiting these resources is economically and ecologically viable in Germany at the present time.
