Update 28 January 2016: press release in English.

The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) published a comprehensive study (in German) on 18 January 2016 that suggests large potential for shale gas in Germany: 0.3 to 2.0 tcm (trillion cubic meters) or 11.3 to 71.7 tcf (trillion cubic feet) of technically recoverable gas from shale. 

This is considerably more than the estimate of 17 tcf from U.S. EIA in April 2013 and it also exceeds greatly Germany’s conventional natural gas resources and reserves, which are about 0.1 tcm each. 

The possible adverse effects of shale gas exploration and production, especially related to hydraulic fracturing operations, are also addressed and evaluated in the study. The conclusion of the study is: Hydraulic fracturing is compatible with the protection of freshwater reservoirs. Injected fracture fluids will not migrate into shallow groundwater bodies used for production of drinking water. 

The study is the final report of the BGR´s project on unconventional hydrocarbons in Germany (NIKO). The report follows up a study which presented initial results of the NIKO project in 2012. 

Weblinks to the study and the press release in German.