Technology reveals 'inevitable surprises' in shale plays

摘要

Growing knowledge about US shale plays and other unconventional resources suggests heterogeneity might be a more important factor than previously thought Accurately predicting energy supply and demand dynamics in the decade ahead is a task fraught with challenges and uncertainties, but one that the future of many energy companies, and arguably the oil and gas industry as a whole, depends on. Unclear as things might seem, some future scenarios are "predetermined." As venture capitalist and scenario planner Peter Schwartz explained in his 2003 book Inevitable Surprises, we might be surprised when some of these situations come to fruition, but the reality is that they were inevitable.