Shale Oil and Gas Handbook: Theory, Technologies, and Challenges provides users with information on how shale oil and gas exploration has revolutionized today's energy industry. As activity has boomed and job growth continues to increase, training in this area for new and experienced engineers is essential. This book provides comprehensive information on both the engineering design and research aspects of this emerging industry. Covering the full spectrum of basic definitions, characteristics, drilling techniques, and processing and extraction technologies, the book is a great starting point to educate oil and gas personnel on today's shale industry. Critical topics covered include characterization of shale gas, theory and methods, typical costs, and obstacles for exploration and drilling, R&D and technology development in shale production, EOR methods in shale oil reservoirs, and the current status and impending challenges for shale oil and gas, including the inevitable future prospects relating to worldwide development.

This study traces the activities of the European Commission in the natural gas sector from 1990 to 2016, by concentrating on market liberalisation and infrastructure development as the main pillars of the European gas security architecture. By building on previous literature, the Commission's policymaking is analysed along its formal and informal powers in different energy security environments. In order to get a better understanding of the European energy market context, the reader is introduced into the historical development of the European energy policy in Chapter 2 and the literature on the European Union policymaking in Chapter 3. The analysis of the Commission's activities in the liberalisation (Chapter 4) and infrastructure (Chapter 5) sectors suggests that the Commission was able to effectively utilise networked governance during times when the demand for coordinated energy policies was low. This book will be of particular interest to those in the field of energy policies as well as EU policymaking.

Shale Gas: Exploration and Environmental and Economic Impacts explores the shale gas exploration and production activities that are increasing globally, also presenting a basic understanding on the geological, geochemical, and geophysical aspects. The book is a key reference that is useful for researchers, the oil and gas industry, and policymakers in gas producing and prospective countries. Users will find chapters on hydraulic fracturing and shale gas drilling, as well as the environmental and economic impacts of these activities. Further chapters include case studies on the shale gas revolution in the United States and other producing countries around the world.

This timely book begins with an overview of shale gas reservoir features such as natural fracture systems, multi-fractured horizontal wells, adsorption/desorption of methane, and non-linear flow within the reservoir. Geomechanical modelling, an aspect of importance in ultra-low permeability reservoirs, is also presented in detail. Taking these complex features of shale reservoirs into account, the authors develop a numerical model, which is verified with field data using the history matching technique. Based on this model, the pressure transient and production characteristics of a fractured horizontal well in a shale gas reservoir are analysed with respect to reservoir and fracture properties. Methods for the estimation of shale properties are also detailed. Minifrac tests, rate transient tests (RTA), and type curve matching are used to estimate the initial pressure, permeability, and fracture half-length. Lastly, future technologies such as the technique of injecting CO2 into shale reservoirs are presented. The book will be of interest to industrial practitioners, as well as to academics and graduate students in the field of reservoir engineering.

I remember that the idea of this book emerged ?rst in Toulouse, during the Third Conference on Energy Markets - 3 years ago now. Anna Cret` ? gave a talk on a model dealing with seasonal gas storage in the USA, and Christian Von Hirschausen was her discussant. Both of them were devoting their efforts to understand the natural gas market in Europe and the relevant liberalization process. I found their interest in storage rather original, so I encouraged Anna to collect the most original cont- butions on this topic. Back in Milan with this idea in mind, she organized a working group at IEFE- Bocconi University, where she works. Then, during the following year, she - changed ideas and organized several meetings with the book's contributors. She regularly invited the most important Italian gas sector representatives to these me- ings, to make sure that the economic models were well suited to tackle the issues at stake in the European gas industry.

Joint operating agreements (JOA) are well-accepted standard agreements in the oil and gas industry. The basic aim of a JOA is to regulate the relationship between the parties to the joint venture: the operator and the non-operators. The former is responsible for performing the operations on the behalf of the consortium, while the latter share in the costs of the joint venture. The main goal of the consortium is to provide joint operations to share the risks and costs of such an enterprise. Exclusive operations, by contrast, provide for independent operations rather than joint operations. If these independent operations are successful, the ultimate consequence is the creation of a sub-consortium with different rules and parties; that is why this provision is so complex. There are no standard JOA models presenting clear and safe guidance on how to structure and implement independent operations. For example, it is unclear how the parties decide whether and how these will affect the joint operations; what the consequences are if the operator for the joint operations refuses to be the operator for the exclusive operations; what happens should the government reject such a proposal (if the government is involved); what this provision should look like if a national oil company is a partner; and which provisions of the main JOA should apply to the exclusive operations. This title examines the most complex provision of the JOA, explaining everything that individuals working in the petroleum industry should know about exclusive operations and their consequences. It begins by explaining what exclusive operations are, the rationale (including pros and cons) behind them, and the parties to which they will be of interest. It goes on to conduct the most extensive practical analysis available on the market, with over 10 JOAs analysed from all regions of the world, together with historical models that are no longer available for consultation. It then compares how joint development zones and unit operating agreements deal with exclusive operations, as they share the same concept as a JOA, but with parties from different blocs or jurisdictions. It finally provides clear guidance on international best practices and their main flaws, along with suggestions for existing and future JOAs. In short, it offers a complete analysis of the most complex clause of the JOA, from its concept to its final implications. International oil companies, independents, national oil companies, consultants, legal advisers and consultants will be interested to learn how they could perfect their JOAs and understand the risks and issues that they might face in the future.

Essentials of Water Systems Design in the Oil, Gas and Chemical Processing Industries provides valuable insight for decision makers by outlining key technical considerations and requirements of four critical systems in industrial processing plants-water treatment systems, raw water and plant water systems, cooling water distribution and return systems, and fire water distribution and storage facilities. The authors identify the key technical issues and minimum requirements related to the process design and selection of various water supply systems used in the oil, gas, and chemical processing industries. This book is an ideal, multidisciplinary work for mechanical engineers, environmental scientists, and oil and gas process engineers.

Buckle propagation is a problem unique to offshore pipelines, in which the local collapse of a locally weakened section of the pipe initiates a collapse that propagates at high speed catastrophically flattening the line by kilometers. The lowest pressure that can sustain the propagation of the collapse, the propagation pressure, is only a small fraction of the collapse pressure of the intact pipe. The large difference between these two pressures requires that pipelines be designed on the collapse pressure, and the extent of the potential catastrophic damage suffered is limited by the periodic introduction of buckle arrestors to the line. Volume 2 of the book series Mechanics of Offshore Pipelines addresses the major aspects of buckle propagation including its initiation, establishment of the propagation pressure, and the dynamics of buckle propagation. Buckle propagation under tension, in pipe-in-pipe pipeline systems, and confined buckle propagation in tubulars such as grouted casing are examined in dedicated chapters. Three chapters deal with the performance of the most commonly used buckle arrestors under both quasi-static and dynamic buckle propagation. Each of these problems is studied through experiments, analyses, and large-scale numerical simulations. The results are used to provide empirical design equations and design guidelines on how to mitigate the effects of buckle propagation.

Onshore unconventional gas operations, in most jurisdictions, operate on the legal principle that all activities during exploration and extraction are 'temporary' in nature. The concept that the onshore unconventional gas industry has a temporary effect on the land on which it operates creates a regulatory paradox. On one hand, unconventional gas activities create energy security, national wealth and a bourgeoning export industry. On the other, agricultural land and agriculturalists may be significantly disadvantaged by unconventional gas activities potentially producing permanent damage to non-renewable fertile soils and spoiling the underground water tables. Thus, threatening future food security and food sovereignty. This book explores the socio-regulatory dimensions of coexistence between agricultural and onshore unconventional gas land uses in the jurisdictions with the highest concentration of proven unconventional gas reserves - Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, France, Poland and China. In exploring the differing regulatory standpoints of unconventional gas land uses on productive farming land in the chosen jurisdictions, this book provides an original three-part categorisation of regulatory approaches addressing the coexistence of agricultural land and unconventional gas namely: adaptive management, precautionary and, finally, statism. It offers a timely and topical approach to socio-legal natural resource governance theory based on the participation, transparency and empowerment for agricultural landholders, examining how differing frameworks such as the collective bargaining framework can create equitable and sustainable contractual arrangements with unconventional gas companies.

It is rare to find an analysis as clear-sighted of the energy market regulation in Europe taking into account legal, regulatory and (geo-)political aspects. Congratulations to this contribution to the debate about regulating energy markets in the future.' - Herwig C. H. Hofmann, Professor of European and Transnational Public LawLaw and Policy of the European Gas Market examines the regulatory and competitive choices of institutions and bodies operating within the EU gas market, with a view to achieving a higher level of market integration. Offering an in-depth analysis of the design, structure and functioning of the EU gas market, the book considers the most recent European legal developments associated with this market and places them in their respective geopolitical context. This timely book contributes to the discussion surrounding the concurrent application of competition law and regulation on the EU gas market. It also provides a unique critique of the way in which competition law is used, mainly through the European Commission's so-called 'commitments practice', while looking at consumer protection and the effects of such practice on third-country transmission system operators. This book provides a unique reassessment of the role played by sector-specific regulation in achieving gas market integration and will therefore prove a valuable resource for gas market participants, policy makers and lawyers in the field. It will also be of great use to students, academics and researchers interested in the latest legislative reform of the EU gas market or 'the Third Energy Package'. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The specifics of the EU gas market 3. Setting of relationships with natural gas producers 4. EU gas market structure 5. Defining and assessing the current EU gas market design 6. Integration of the EU gar market through administrative bodies 7. Conclusion Bibliography Annex I: Legislation applicable to the EU gas market Annex II: Case Law Index

Foreword by Walter BoltzThis highly unique book focuses on market design issues common to most EU gas markets, particularly in the context of closer integration. It explores in detail the characteristics and requirements of national gas markets in Europe, which are constructed as virtual hubs based on entry/exit schemes as a requirement of European law. The expert contributors analyze gas supply and demand patterns in the EU, showing that both have changed following the introduction of liquefied natural gas on the supply side and the growth of gas-fired power plants on the demand side. The repeated interactions between the transmission operators' activity and the gas commodity markets are addressed, as is the design of commercial networks in EU markets. The contributors also question whether the relationship between commercial and physical networks, in terms of the 'new' flexibility requirements of users, actually works. By way of conclusion, two proposals for the EU gas target model are presented, both of which tackle the fundamental issues raised in this book, as well as the organization of short-term transactions and the mechanisms for investment in vital new long-life infrastructure needed to integrate EU markets. This volume will be of great interest to practitioners, as well as academics, researchers and students in the fields of energy economics and industrial economics. Both European and non-European energy companies and regulatory authorities looking for an independent and analytical overview of European gas markets will also find this book to be a highly valuable resource. Contents: Foreword by Walter Boltz Introduction Part I: The New European Gas Market: Increased Flexibility in Both Demand and Supply 1. Introduction to Part I 2. Gas Demand: The Role of Gas-fired Power Plants 3. Gas Supply: The Role of Liquefied Natural Gas by Sophia Ruester Part II: The Role Played by Networks Regulation 4. Introduction to Part II 5. Opening a Market for Gas Flexibility? Part III: EU Regulation in the Context of the EU Target Model 6. Introduction to Part III 7. A Vision for the EU Gas Target Model: MECO-S 8. An American Model for the EU Gas Market? by Sergio Ascari Conclusions Bibliography Index

This non-technical, readable book traces the history of North Thames Gas from the nationalization of the gas industry in 1949 until privatization in 1986, a period which saw the industry change form a position in the 1950s where its survival was threatened.

Introduction to Oil and Gas Operational Safety is aligned directly to the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety. Concisely written by a highly experienced team, this full colour reference provides complete coverage of the syllabus, including chapters on fire hazards, risk management and emergency response. It will ensure that you are fully equipped with the knowledge and understanding to respond and deal with the daily hazards you may face whilst working in the oil and gas industry. Complete with tables, case studies and self-test questions, this book will guide you through the principles of how to manage both offshore and onshore operational risks to prepare you for your exam and beyond.

There are few areas of economic policy-making in which the returns to good decisions are so high?and the punishment of bad decisions so cruel?as in the management of natural resource wealth. Rich endowments of oil, gas and minerals have set some countries on courses of sustained and robust prosperity; but they have left others riddled with corruption and persistent poverty, with little of lasting value to show for squandered wealth. And amongst the most important of these decisions are those relating to the tax treatment of oil, gas and minerals.

This book will be of interest to Economics postgraduates and researchers working on resource issues, as well as professionals working on taxation of oil, gas and minerals/mining.

When oil and gas exploration was expanding across Aotearoa New Zealand, Patricia Widener was there interviewing affected residents and environmental and climate activists, and attending community meetings and anti-drilling rallies. Exploration was occurring on an unprecedented scale when oil disasters dwelled in recent memory, socioecological worries were high, campaigns for climate action were becoming global, and transitioning toward a low carbon society seemed possible. Yet unlike other communities who have experienced either an oil spill, or hydraulic fracturing, or offshore exploration, or climate fears, or disputes over unresolved Indigenous claims, New Zealanders were facing each one almost simultaneously. Collectively, these grievances created the foundation for an organized civil society to construct and then magnify a comprehensive critical oil narrative--in dialogue, practice, and aspiration. Community advocates and socioecological activists mobilized for their health and well-being, for their neighborhoods and beaches, for Planet Earth and Planet Ocean, and for terrestrial and aquatic species and ecosystems. They rallied against toxic, climate-altering pollution; the extraction of fossil fuels; a myriad of historic and contemporary inequities; and for local, just, and sustainable communities, ecologies, economies, and/or energy sources. In this allied ethnography, quotes are used extensively to convey the tenor of some of the country’s most passionate and committed people. By analyzing the intersections of a social movement and the political economy of oil, Widener reveals a nuanced story of oil resistance and promotion at a time when many anti-drilling activists believed themselves to be on the front lines of the industry’s inevitable decline.

This book examines the internal and external implications of Israel's natural gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean. The nation's changed status from being an importer of coal and oil to that of an exporter of natural gas has consequences not only for the energy sector but also for the fragile geopolitics of the region. The book: Explores the challenges and issues of energy economics and governance; Analyses Israel's gas diplomacy with its neighbours in the Middle East and North Africa and its potential positive impact on the amelioration of the Arab-Israeli conflict; Studies how Israel can avoid the deleterious impact of the Dutch disease once the government's share of the export revenues start flowing. The author traces a consummate picture of history, politics, and conflicts that shape the economics of energy in Israel and its future trajectories. A major intervention in Middle East studies, this volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of energy studies, development studies, strategic studies, politics, diplomacy, and international relations. It will also be of interest to government agencies, think-tanks, and risk management firms.

What should a country do if it suddenly discovers oil and gas? How should it spend the subsequent cash windfall? How can it protect against corruption? How can citizens truly benefit from national wealth? With many of the world's poorest and most fragile states suddenly joining the ranks of oil and gas producers, these are pressing policy questions.

"Oil to Cash" explores one option that may help avoid the so-called resource curse: just give the money directly to citizens. A universal, transparent, and regular cash transfer would not only provide a concrete benefit to regular people, but would also create powerful incentives for citizens to hold their government accountable. "Oil to Cash" details how and where this idea could work and how policymakers can learn from the experiences with cash transfers in places like Mexico, Mongolia, and Alaska.

This book addresses a question of importance for both theory and practice: Why are joint venture agreements preferred over other types of agreements such as concession agreements, service contracts, and production sharing agreements in the Qatari gas industry? On a theoretical level, the author analyses this decision-making process by developing an approach that integrates a micro-level analysis, more specifically within international oil companies, with a macro-level analysis that spring from the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. At the micro level, the author proposes John Dunning's eclectic paradigm (as one set of theoretical ideas) to explaining one element of the decision-making process leading to the preference for joint venture agreements, that is, that of international oil companies. At the macro-level, the author proposes Antony Giddens' structuration theory (as another set of theoretical ideas) to explaining another part of this decision-making process, that is, how it is being shaped by the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry. On an empirical level, the proposed book applies a combination of a micro-economic approach such as Dunning's eclectic paradigm with a macro-sociological approach such as Giddens' structuration theory by empirical investigation. Grounded on a qualitative strategy that focuses on the meaning-making which brings together different perspectives of this decision-making process including those of international oil companies and the organisational culture of the Qatari gas industry, the proposed book utilises a case study design, named the case of the Qatari gas industry. The author employs a triangulation of data collection techniques to access empirical data: analysing official documents and semi-structured interviews (a sample of the interview questions are included in an appendix to the proposed books). In line with the qualitative nature of this proposed book, a thematic Analysis is adopted to interpret data based on Dunning's eclectic paradigm at the micro level and Giddens' structuration theory at the macro level. In doing so, this book connects theory with practice by investigating the preference for joint venture agreements in the case of the Qatari industry by the combined application of one of the most effective frameworks for explaining foreign direct investment, named Dunning's eclectic paradigm along with the most complex sociological framework that offers a rich definition of organisational culture, named Giddens' structuration theory. Audience could include academics, professionals, and graduate and senior undergraduate students.

Reviews shale reservoir characteristics and cut-offs used in ranking development opportunities and selecting specific completion intervals. The included information is concise and practical as it is primarily intended for those directly engaged in shale evaluation and development activities. The book expands upon topics the author covers in three industry short courses that have been conducted for hundreds of industry professionals in a dozen different countries.

Gas transit is network-dependent and it cannot be established without the existence of pipeline infrastructure in the territory of a transit state or the ability to access this infrastructure. Nevertheless, at an inter-regional level, there are no sufficient pipeline networks allowing gas to travel freely from a supplier to the most lucrative markets. The existing networks are often operated by either private or state-controlled vertically integrated monopolies who are often reluctant to release unused pipeline capacity to their potential competitors. These obstacles to gas transit can diminish the gains from trade for states endowed with natural gas resources, including developing landlocked countries, as well as undermine WTO Members' energy security and their attempts at sustainable development. This book explains how the WTO could play a more prominent role in the international regulation of gas transit and promote the development of an international gas market.

"An academic career was in front of me, but I sampled the oil and gas industry and stayed. Thirty years later I became CEO of an international company based in Greece." Michael Earle's story is full of exploration and adventure from beginning to end. He witnessed the aftermath of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and felt the threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India; in the Sahara Desert he crossed a minefield in the war zone between Libya and Chad, and he was attacked by gigantic hornets in the spectacular mountains of Papua New Guinea - all in the line of duty. Extensive international travel came with the territory, and the narrative contains interesting portraits of many countries, and insights into the pros and cons of expatriate life. Finally, I am CEO recounts the hard lessons learned at each stage of a tortuous path through corporate life, and how passion for work and the need to support a family strained marriages and determined career choices.

This volume studies the driving forces behind the development of the European gas market and the uncertainties facing the industry in Europe. There is widespread consensus within Europe about the advantages of natural gas to reduce air pollution and to enhance energy supply diversification. Thus taking into account these most fundamental prerequisites for increased gas demand, this volume addresses the more immediate question of how the conglomeration and organisation of European gas industries will be influenced by this latent demand potential. The purpose of this book is to focus both on the analysis of evolutionary organisational processes within the gas industry, and the pressures for change provoked by external forces such as interfuel competition, environmental imperatives and new trends in European economic policies. The potential for structural change in the organisation of the European gas industry is discussed, as well as the political, economic and commercial factors affecting its progress. With the present uncertainty as to whether the gas industry will take advantage of the obvious market opportunities that are opening up, this book takes a close look at the European gas industry at this time of change, and analyses how this process may develop and the possible implications this will have on the gas industry.

By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.

By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.