Shale gas output expected to rise as demand grows
Natural gas produced from shale rock formations like Texas’ Barnett shale play could account for one third of total U.S. natural gas supply by 2025, up from 14 percent today, a prominent energy forecaster said Friday.
The jump will come as the costs of unlocking the dense formations decline and demand for clean-burning natural gas rises over time, analysts with U.K.-based consultant Wood Mackenzie said said in a briefing with reporters.
But natural gas prices could remain low during the next few years as a spate of new coal-fired electricity plants open, reducing the overall amount of the fuel needed in the U.S. for power generation.