Shale gas is a natural gas (predominantly methane (CH4)) found in shale rock (a sedimentary rock). Shale gas is classed as an unconventional fossil fuel, which means that additional procedures, beyond drilling, are required to extract it. Advances in drilling technology over the last decade have made shale gas exploitation viable in some countries, notably the US. Shale gas can be extracted using a combination of directional drilling and a process called hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

For more information, see Shale gas toolkit.