The British Geological Survey (BGS), in association with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has completed an estimate of the amount of shale oil and shale gas in the Weald Basin in southeast England. Five units within the Jurassic period of the Weald Basin contain organic-rich, marine shale: the Mid and Upper Lias Clays (Lower Jurassic) and the Oxford Clay, Corallian Clay and Kimmeridge Clay (Upper Jurassic). 

This study offers a range of total in-place oil resource estimates for the various Jurassic shales of the Weald Basin of 2.2 – 4.4 – 8.6 billion bbl (0.29 – 0.59 – 1.14 billion tonnes). It is possible that oil has been generated from any or all of the five shales, but with the current model it is considered that even the deepest Jurassic unit is not buried deep enough to have generated significant amounts of gas.

Other areas in the UK have shale gas and shale oil potential, and later in 2014 the Carboniferous shales of the Midland Valley of Scotland will be the subject of a further BGS/DECC report.

Reproduction of the press release from BGS.