Shalexenvironment: A Multi-Disciplinary Effort to Assess the Environmental Implications for Shale Gas Exploration Ad Production in Europe

In this presentation we will discuss the multi-disciplinary efforts implemented within the ShaleXenvironmenT consortium (http://shalexenvironment.org) to assess the potential impacts of shale gas exploration and production in Europe. The scientific activities implemented range from characterisation of shale core samples, quantification of the fluids contained in them, study of the fluid behaviour in nano- and meso-pores, design of fracturing fluids, optimisation of the water (both flowback and production) reclamation strategies, life-cycle assessment and comparison to other energy sources, as well as an analysis of socio-economical aspects related to the development of a shale gas industry in Europe.