One of the often-unsung aspects of the shale revolution that has taken place in the U.S.A. over the last few years, is the amount of natural gas that’s been produced. Natural gas, or ‘Natty’ as it is sometimes affectionately referred to, has turned into a bumper crop that America is not quite ready to fully absorb into its economy. (Click to enlarge) Shale, as we are learning, can be gassy due to the way the source rock often accumulates in laucaustrine-like settings, i.e. lake and shallow sea beds. Fine grained sediments filter down through the depths, combining as they do with mostly planktonic marine life, and pack tightly as they are compressed by further sedimentation. Wait a couple of hundred million years, for the Types II, and III kerogen that this usually accompanies sediment of this type to fully mature, and ‘Bob’s your Uncle,’ you have Natty. This source […]