North America Shale Plays
North America Shale Plays
Shale plays are major underground formations that produce crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. These resources feed refineries, gas processing plants, steam crackers, and the larger chemical value chain.
Lower 48 States Shale Play Map
The map shows many of the largest shale formations across the United States, including oil-rich, gas-rich, and mixed-resource regions.
Crude Oil
Oil-rich shale areas provide crude streams that move into refining and become fuels, naphtha, base oils, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks.
Natural Gas
Gas-rich formations provide methane and natural gas liquids that are processed, separated, and used for power, heating, and chemical production.
Chemical Feedstocks
Ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline from shale production can become ethylene, propylene, butadiene, aromatics, and downstream chemicals.
Next Step: Shale Gas Extraction
Continue the value chain by seeing how shale gas is extracted before it moves into raw gas handling and processing.