Natural gas production from tight, low permeability sandstones (generally rocks with less than 1/10th of a millidarcy permeability), is expected to contribute significantly to the U.S.’ future gas supply. The DOE, USGS, and other organizations have completed resource assessments of U.S. basins with tight gas accumulations indicating that a vast (~6000 Tcf) in-place natural gas resource exists. However, there is still much that is not currently understood about the origin and development of these accumulations.


MICROSCOPIC SECTIONS OF SANDSTONE. Conventional sandstone (left) has well- connected pores (dark blue). The pores of tight gas sandstone (right) are irregularly distributed and poorly connected by very narrow capillaries. Because of this low connectivity (low permeability), gas trapped within tight gas sandstones is not easily produced

Better evaluation methods and technologies, as well as, advanced exploration, and production strategies tailored to tight gas accumulations, are needed in order to make these resources part of our future energy portfolio. As a result, NETL’s natural gas program supports studies aimed at improving our understanding of the distribution and quantity of tight gas resources, as well as, projects that focus on advanced detection and prediction of tight gas reservoir “sweet spots”. mNETL: Exploration Technologies - Tight Gasd l Erotic Erotic pNETL: Exploration Technologies - Tight Gask w Party Nude