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shale gas
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Learn how the United Kingdom measures the safety and the impact on energy security of extracting shale gas via fracking
Diagram illustrating the hydraulic fracturing process for shale gas extraction, showing a drilling rig, underground well casings, fracking fluid injection, horizontal drilling in shale, and surface equipment for separating gas and fluids. Insets highlight the well structure, fluid injection into shale, and gas flow pathways.
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shale gas

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shale gas, natural gas obtained from sheetlike formations of shale, frequently at depths exceeding 1,500 metres (5,000 feet). Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks consisting of silt- and clay-sized particles that were laid down hundreds of millions of years ago as organic-rich mud at the bottom of ancient seas and tidal flats. Over time the mud layers were buried by further sedimentation, and the resulting heat and pressure transformed the mud into shale and the organic...

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