How technology is opening up new markets for shale gas and GTL

A. Chandra, Muse, Stancil & Co., Houston, Texas The shale revolution has been the biggest driver of change in the energy landscape in North America over the past 10 years, and it is expected to continue to be the driving force for the foreseeable future. New technologies, notably horizontal drilling and improved hydraulic fracturing techniques, have unlocked the ability to access new hydrocarbon resources. While most of the recent press coverage has been related to the huge amount of new gas that is being produced (Fig. 1) and where this gas will be used and exported, technology may also prove to be part of the answer for finding new and larger markets for both the produced gas and for