An unconventional mindset for shale gas surface facilities

Following the “gas revolution” occurring in the USA, where shale gas is contributing to abundant and low-priced domestic gas production, many companies and countries all around the world are considering investing in this type of gas source. Key elements of shale gas production include the extensive drilling campaign, the need for hydraulic fracturing (with its implication on the whole water supply/handling cycle) and the realisation of a continuously growing network of geographically scattered production facilities and flowlines, which accompany gas from wellheads to the final customers.Exporting shale gas experience from the USA to new promising basins will not simply mean customising subsurface technologies (such as drilling & completion or hydraulic fracturing) to a geologically different area; it will especially imply adopting an unconventional mindset for surface facilities. First of all, there may not be a context as fertile as in the USA in terms of existing infrastructures (pipelines, treatment plants) or abundance of local contractors/providers, therefore an efficient engineering and fast-response procurement and construction chain will be more crucial for life-cycle-cost minimization than it is for conventional gas production.Moreover, standardized and repeatable production facilities will likely be the most economically viable way to handle gas flow from hundreds or thousands of wells, designed in parallel with step-by-step territorial studies to locate those facilities considering geographical, infrastructural and legislative constraints and opportunities. Finally, the passage from exploration to extensive commercial production will likely require a proper appraisal campaign through a pilot development, especially in new areas, with the objective to “long-test” shale gas wells performances and optimize full-development approaches in an environmentally friendly way.