Paper discussing research into Devonian shale gas reserves as a viable energy pursuit. From the paper: "To help meet the increasing demand for natural gas, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting research and development activities to recover gas from unconventional sources. The Eastern Gas Shales Project (EGSP) is an integral part of DOE's Unconventional Gas Recovery Program. Other projects under the DOE program include producing gas from the tight sandstones of the western and southwestern states. methane contained within coal seams and associated strata, and methane from the geopressured aquifers of the Gulf Coast. The EGSP was initiated in 1976 and is designed to promote further commercial development of natural gas supplies from the unconventional gas-bearing Devonian Shales. Methods which have been or are presently being studied to recover and produce the gas include exploration techniques specific to the shale resource, advanced drilling technology such as directional drilling, and advanced stimulation technology including explosives and energy-assisted hydraulic fracturing techniques."
- PDF1977 Devonian Shale Gas 002.pdf