How We Produce Natural Gas

EXTRACTING SHALE GAS

CNX shale gas comes primarily from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations which underlie much of Appalachia. Shale gas is a form of natural gas (mostly methane) found underground in shale rock. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock with small spaces containing gas that are relatively unconnected to each other—meaning that gas does not flow easily through shale.

To get to the gas, crews drill deep, vertical holes into the shale rock, followed by horizontal drilling to access more of the gas. Hydraulic stimulation is introduced by utilizing powerful pumps to send water, sand, and chemicals down the hole to break shale rock open and extract gas molecules.

Once the gas is flowing to the surface, gas and liquids are separated in a special vessel if needed. The gas is then sent to a processing plant before the gas is transported away via pipelines for commercial use.