A reality check on the shale revolution

摘要

The 'shale revolution - the extraction of gas and oil from previously inaccessible reservoirs - has been declared an energy game changer. It is offsetting declines in conventional oil and gas production, with shale gas being heralded as a transition fuel to a low-carbon future, and shale oil as being capable of reinstating the United States as the largest oil producer in the world, eliminating the need for foreign imports.