Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental risks of shale gas exploitation and solutions for clean shale gas production in China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Frontiers of Earth Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Shale gas is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel, produced by hydraulic fracturing. This technology may be harmful to the environment; therefore, environmentally friendly methods to extract shale gas have attracted considerable attention from researchers. Unlike previous studies, this study is a comprehensive investigation that uses systematic analyses and detailed field data. The environmental challenges associated with shale gas extraction, as well as measures to mitigate environmental impacts from the source to end point are detailed, using data and experience from China’s shale gas production sites. Environmental concerns are among the biggest challenges in practice, mainly including seasonal water shortages, requisition of primary farmland, leakage of drilling fluid and infiltration of flowback fluid, oil-based drill cuttings getting buried underground, and induced seismicity. China’s shale gas companies have attempted to improve methods, as well as invent new materials and devices to implement cleaner processes for the sake of protecting the environment. Through more than 10-year summary, China’s clean production model for shale gas focuses on source pollution prevention, process control, and end treatment, which yield significant results in terms of resource as well as environmental protection, and can have practical implications for shale gas production in other countries, that can be duplicated elsewhere.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baranzelli C, Vandecasteele I, Ribeiro Barranco R, Marii Rivero I, Pelletier N, Batelaan O, Lavalle C (2015). Scenarios for shale gas development and their related land use impacts in the Baltic Basin, Northern Poland. Energy Policy, 84: 80–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, He M, Wang D, Zhang S, Yang F (2016). Discussion on pollution control technologies of fracturing waste water in fuling shale gas exploitation. Fine Spec Chem, 24: 26–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, He L, Guan Y, Lu H, Li J (2017). Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and water-energy optimization for shale gas supply chain planning based on multi-level approach: case study in Barnett, Marcellus, Fayetteville, and Haynesville shales. Energy Convers Manage, 134: 382–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z, Zheng Z, Li D, Chen H, Xu Y (2020). Continuous supercritical water oxidation treatment of oil-based drill cuttings using municipal sewage sludge as diluent. J Hazard Mater, 384: 121225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chongqing Provincial Water Resources Bureau (2018). Chongqing water resources bulletin, 2018. Available at Chongqing Government website

  • Eaton T T (2013). Science-based decision-making on complex issues: Marcellus shale gas hydrofracking and New York City water supply. Sci Total Environ, (461–462): 158–169

  • EIA (2018). Natural gas and the environment. Available at EIA website EIA (2015a). World Shale Resource Assessments. Available at MWR website

  • EIA (2015b). China adds incentives for domestic natural gas production as imports increase- Today in Energy. Available at EIA website

  • EPA (2012). Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources: Progress Report

  • Estrada J M, Bhamidimarri R (2016). A review of the issues and treatment options for wastewater from shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing. Fuel, 182: 292–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan H (2016). Approaching jiaoshiba — focusing on geological environment impact assessment in the development of fuling shale gas field in chongqing. Hydrogeol. Eng. Geol, 171–172

  • Gregory K B, Vidic R D, Dzombak D A (2011). Water management challenges associated with the production of shale gas by hydraulic fracturing. Elements, 7(3): 181–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guizhou Provincial Water Resources Department (2018). Guizhou province water resources bulletin. Available at Guizhou Goverment website

  • Guo Y, Zhang X, Wang Q, Chen H, Du X, Ma Y (2020). Temporal changes in vegetation around a shale gas development area in a subtropical karst region in southwestern China. Sci Total Environ, 701: 134769

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gvakharia A, Kort E A, Brandt A, Peischl J, Ryerson T B, Schwarz J P, Smith M L, Sweeney C (2017). Methane, black carbon, and ethane emissions from natural gas flares in the Bakken Shale, North Dakota. Environ Sci Technol, 51(9): 5317–5325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland A A (2013). Earthquakes triggered by hydraulic fracturing in south-central Oklahoma. Bull Seismol Soc Am, 103(3): 1784–1792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth R W, Santoro R, Ingraffea A (2011). Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations. Clim Change, 106(4): 679–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang W (2019). Cost-reduction and Profit-increase Cases of Shale Gas Drilling Engineering. Beijing: Petroleum Industry Press (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Huo X, Jiao Y, Li Y, Yang Z, Luo F (2019). Current status of environmental protection and countermeasures of shale gas exploitation in southern Sichuan. Environ Prot Oil Gas Fields, 29: 1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahrilas G A, Blotevogel J, Stewart P S, Borch T (2015). Biocides in hydraulic fracturing fluids: a critical review of their usage, mobility, degradation, and toxicity. Environ Sci Technol, 49(1): 16–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X M, Zhao B, Wang Z, Xie M, Song J, Nghiem L D, He T, Yang C, Li C, Chen G (2014). Water reclamation from shale gas drilling flowback fluid using a novel forward osmosis-vacuum membrane distillation hybrid system. Water Sci Technol, 69(5): 1036–1044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang R, Tong L, Xiang Q, Zhuang S, Zhou X (2014). Management of and proposals on environmental impact assessment (EIA) for shale gas development in China. Nat Gas Ind, 34: 135–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu C (2016). Research and practice of the key technologies for “green” drilling. Explor Eng (Rock & Soil Drill Tunneling), 43: 9–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y (2018). Key technologies for green development in the Fuling shale gas field. Pet Drill Tech, 46: 8–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu T, Hu M, Liu M, Ding C, Wang X (2016). On the impact of shale gas development on water resource and environment in Sichuan and Chongqing. Sci Technol Rev, 34: 51–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutz B D, Lewis A N, Doyle M W (2013). Generation, transport, and disposal of wastewater associated with Marcellus Shale gas development. Water Resour Res, 49(2): 647–656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macro Data on the Global Economy (2015). Cultivated land area per capita (index). Available at Sina website

  • Mei X, Jin J, Wang C, He Y, Wang D, Zhang C (2017a). Practice and research of green development in Fuling Shale Gas Field. J Southwest Pet Univ Sci Ed, 19: 9–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Mei X, Wang C, Zhang S, Xiong D, Zhang C, He M (2017b). Main environmental risk analysis and countermeasure for shale gas mining in Fuling. Environmental Science and Management, 42: 63–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Mei X, Zhang S, Xiong D, Wang C, He M (2016). Impacts of Shale Gas Exploitation on Ecological Environmengt in Fuling and Counter-measures. J Southwest Pet Univ Sci Ed, 18: 7–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Milt A W, Armsworth P R (2017). Performance of a cap and trade system for managing environmental impacts of shale gas surface infrastructure. Ecol Econ, 131: 399–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minstry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China (2018a). Water resources bulletin. Available at Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China Website

  • Minstry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China (2018b). Bulletin on flood and drought disasters in China. Available at Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China Website

  • Mohammad-Pajooh E, Weichgrebe D, Cuff G, Tosarkani B M, Rosenwinkel K H (2018). On-site treatment of flowback and produced water from shale gas hydraulic fracturing: a review and economic evaluation. Chemosphere, 212: 898–914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rich A, Grover J P, Sattler M L (2014). An exploratory study of air emissions associated with shale gas development and production in the Barnett Shale. J Air Waste Manag Assoc, 64(1): 61–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy A A, Adams P J, Robinson A L (2014). Air pollutant emissions from the development, production, and processing of Marcellus Shale natural gas. J Air Waste Manag Assoc, 64(1): 19–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozell D J, Reaven S J (2012). Water pollution risk associated with natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale. Risk Anal, 32(8): 1382–1393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi Z, Xu Y, Shao Z, Sun J, Liu J, Ke Y (2019). Research and Application of Thermal-desorption Treatment of Oil-based Cuttings from Shale Gas Produtiion. Environ Prot Oil Gas F, 29: 37–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Sichuan Provincial Water Resources Department (2018). Sichuan water resources bulletin. Available at Sichuan Provincial Water Resources Department website

  • Sun H, Wang C, Liu W, Xie Y (2017). Cleaner production in the Changning-Weiyuan national shale gas demonstration area. Nat Gas Ind, 37: 105–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wang D, Tsang D C W, Wang L, Ok Y S, Feng Y (2019). A critical review of risks, characteristics, and treatment strategies for potentially toxic elements in wastewater from shale gas extraction. Environ Int, 125: 452–469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang Y, Jinchuan Z, Qin Z, Pengyu L (2010). Hydraulic fracturing of shale gas Wells and its application analysis. Nat gas Ind, 30: 33–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang Z (2016). A brief analysis of the application and practice of factory operation mode in shale gas development in weiyuan. China Pet Chem Ind Stand Qual, 36: 78–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Van de Graaf T, Haesebrouck T, Debaere P (2018). Fractured politics? The comparative regulation of shale gas in Europe. J Eur Public Policy, 25(9): 1276–1293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vengosh A, Jackson R B, Warner N, Darrah T H, Kondash A (2014). A Critical Review of the Risks to Water Resources from Unconventional Shale Gas Development and Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States. Environ Sci Technol, 48(15): 8334–8348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan F (2019). Research on plugging technology for surface casing drilling of changing shale gas. Drill & Prod Technol, 42: 28–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Wan F, Liu H, Qi Y (2018). Environmental surface driling on well pad N213. Drill & Prod Technol, 41: 13–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Wan Z, Huang T, Craig B (2014). Barriers to the development of China’s shale gas industry. J Clean Prod, 84: 818–823

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C Q, Jin J Z, Lin X Y, Xiong D M, Mei X D (2017). A study on the oil-based drilling cutting pyrolysis residue resource utilization by the exploration and development of shale gas. Environ Sci Pollut Res, 24: 17816–17828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Zhu D, Xia G, Zeng G, Li X, Chen H, Wei L, Liu Y (2018). Technological series supporting the “green-development” of shale gas in China: a case study. Nat Gas Ind, 38: 125–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Warner N R, Christie C A, Jackson R B, Vengosh A (2013). Impacts of shale gas wastewater disposal on water quality in western Pennsylvania. Environ Sci Technol, 47(20): 11849–11857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei Y, Wang S, Ma Q, Wu W, Lu X, Yan X (2018). Waste water management in Sichuan Changning-Weiyuan shale gas field. Chem Eng Oil Gas, 47(4): 113–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Xia J, Guan B, Liu P, Ning L, Yi X, Yang L, Hu S (2019a). Water scarcity assessment based on estimated ultimate energy recovery and water footprint framework during shale gas production in the Changning play. J Clean Prod, 241: 118312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Xia J, Guan B, Yan X, Zou L, Liu P, Yang L, Hong S, Hu S (2019b). Water availability assessment of shale gas production in the Weiyuan play, China. Sustain, 11(3)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xia H, Bao K, Wang Y, Zhou C, Yang Y (2019). An Integrated Drilling Cuttings Utilization Technique in the South Pingqiao Block of the Fuling Shale Gas Field. Pet Drill Tech, 47: 63–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie X, Zhang T, Wang M, Huang Z (2019). Impact of shale gas development on regional water resources in China from water footprint assessment view. Sci Total Environ, 679: 317–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiong D, Zhang S, Feng B, Wang C, Mei X, Zhang C (2016a). Present status analysis of environmental protection in exploration and development of fuling shale gas. J Xi’an Shiyou Univ Nat Sci Ed, 31: 48–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiong Y, Liu Y, Liu Y, Wu W, Dai Y, Chen N (2016b). Recycling disposal technology and application of shale gas fracturing flowback fluid in Changning-Weiyuan area. Chem Eng Oil Gas, 45: 51–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang D, Yu Y, Liang R, Yuan J (2019). Development progress and environmental protection status in China’s key shale gas construction areas and suggestions. Mod Chem Ind, 39: 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Huang X, Yang Q, Tu J, Li S, Yang D, Xia H, Flower R J, Thompson J R (2015). Water requirements for shale gas fracking in Fuling, Chongqing, Southwest China. Energy Procedia, 76: 106–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yunnan Provincial Water Resources Department (2018). Yunnan water resources bulletin. Available at wcd.yn.gov.cn website

  • Zhang X, Sun A Y, Duncan I J (2016). Shale gas wastewater management under uncertainty. J Environ Manage, 165: 188–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong Y, Fang J (2017). Environmental protection during the development of fuling national shale gas production demonstration area. China Petrochem, 34–35

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R & D Program of China (No. 2011ZX05028-002). The authors acknowledge colleagues from the PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development for their help with this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics and Management, China University of Geoscience (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Shikui Gao & Fang Huang

  2. College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Quanzhong Guan

  3. PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development, Beijing, 100083, China

    Dazhong Dong

Authors
  1. Shikui Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Quanzhong Guan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dazhong Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fang Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quanzhong Guan.

Additional information

Author Biographies

Shikui Gao received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. Degrees in Economics from China University of Geosciences, China and a Ph.D. in Economics and Management from China University of Petroleum (Beijing), China. She is an associate professor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing), China. associate prof. Gao’s research is broadly interdisciplinary, anchored on a core expertise in economic evaluation and in environmental systems. She has published about 30 peer-reviewed articles, often collaboratively, in areas including environmental science; economics and management; and petroleum science.

Quanzhong Guan received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Resources and Geological Engineering from PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, and China University of Petroleum (Beijing), China. He is a lecturer in Petroleum Geology at the College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, China. His research explores the unconventional reservoirs of gas shales, and environmental risks. He has published 45 peer-reviewed articles and is an editor for Natural Gas Industry Journal.

Dazhong Dong received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geological Resources and Geological Engineering from PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, and China University of Petroleum (Beijing), China. He is a professor in Petroleum Geology at the PetroChina Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, China. His research focuses on petroleum geology and energy exploration evaluations. He has published 73 peer-reviewed articles and is an editor for core journals on petroleum science.

Fang Huang earned his BA in management from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and is currently a master’s student in the University.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gao, S., Guan, Q., Dong, D. et al. Environmental risks of shale gas exploitation and solutions for clean shale gas production in China. Front. Earth Sci. 15, 406–422 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-020-0850-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-020-0850-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation