With rising energy demands and dwindling conventional natural gas reserves, Pakistan faces a pressing energy security challenge.

The country’s potential for unconventional natural gas resources, such as shale gas and tight gas, has garnered increasing attention in recent years.

Discoveries of substantial deposits of these resources have fueled optimism for Pakistan’s energy future. However, tapping into these unconventional reserves presents both opportunities and challenges that Pakistan must navigate with caution.**

Shale gas and tight gas are unconventional natural gas types distinguished by the geological formations in which they are found and the specific methods required for extraction.

Shale gas exists within fine-grained sedimentary rocks known as shale formations, which exhibit very low permeability, trapping the gas within tiny pores.

Tight gas, on the other hand, is located in denser sandstone or limestone formations with similarly low permeability, making the gas difficult to flow naturally to the surface. Both resources require advanced extraction techniques, such as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling, to be commercially viable.

Globally, the potential for shale and tight gas is substantial. The estimated 7,299 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of shale gas and 345 billion barrels of shale oil account for 32 percent of the world’s natural gas and 10 percent of its crude oil reserves.

Pakistan ranks 19th out of 41 countries with shale hydrocarbon reserves, boasting an estimated 105 tcf of........

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