The mechanical data (confining and injection pressures) recorded during Vickers indentation experiments on samples of shale materials. These experiments were conducted on the I12 beamline, Diamond Light Source, Harwell as part of beamtime EE17606-1 between 31/01/18 and 05/02/18.

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of four samples of consolidated shale from the Lower Jurassic (C.exaratum subzone) of the Cardigan Bay Basin (Wales, UK). The samples were taken from the Mochras Core, at depths of 789, 810, 812, and 818m (all samples within data measured in metres). Each sample is distinguished by its unique sample identification number (SSK). For each sample, there is a stack of XCT orthoslices (.tiff) files, and for SSK109633, an incomplete Avizo file. Mochras core location (aprox.) 52°48'39.74"N, 4° 8'48.09"W. Mochras Island, west of Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

This data set contains seismic source parameters (magnitudes, corner frequencies, stress drops and their associated uncertainty) for 94 microseismic events linked to fault reactivation during hydro-fracturing operations in the Horn River Basin (British Columbia). The data presented here were derived from proprietary third party seismic data recorded on 2 arrays of 35 - 15 Hz GEO-OMNI-2400 borehole geophones each. These data were first reported in Adam G Klinger, Maximilian J Werner, Stress drops of hydraulic fracturing induced microseismicity in the Horn River basin: challenges at high frequencies recorded by borehole geophones, Geophysical Journal International, Volume 228, Issue 3, March 2022, Pages 2018–2037, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggab458

These data comprise geochemical results from upper Ediacaran organic-rich shales / mudstones from the Yangtze Craton (South China) from the Doushantuo Formation (member IV) and overlying lower Dengying Formation (= Miaohe Member). Ages range from about 570 to 550 Ma. The data consist of iron partitioning (Fe-speciation), phosphorus partitioning (P-speciation), bulk rock metal concentrations, total organic content and pyrite sulfur isotopes. Major and trace element concentrations of all samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry, respectively, after quantitative HNO3-HFHClO4 digestion. Fe speciation was performed after the established methodology of Poulton and Canfield to extract operationally defined Fe phases, including Fe associated with carbonates (Fecarb), ferric oxides (Feox), magnetite (Femag), and pyrite (Fepy). The sum of these Fe pools constitutes the proportion of Fe that is considered highly reactive (FeHR) toward dissolved sulfide. Ratios of FeHR/FeT > 0.38 support FeHR enrichment and deposition under anoxic bottom water conditions, whereas values of <0.22 indicate deposition from oxic bottom waters. The intermediate range of 0.22 to 0.38 is regarded as equivocal because of the possibility for rapid sediment deposition or early diagenetic transformation of unsulfidized FeHR to poorly reactive sheet silicate minerals. For anoxic samples (FeHR/FeT > 0.38), the degree of sulfidation of the FeHR pool can be used to distinguish ferruginous (Fepy/FeHR <0.7) from euxinic (Fepy/FeHR > 0.8) conditions, with an intermediate zone ascribed to “possible euxinia”. Recent analyses of Holocene sapropels and the euxinic Lake Cadagno indicate that Fepy/FeHR > 0.6 may be a more suitable threshold for distinguishing ferruginous from possible euxinic conditions. Selected shale samples were analyzed for pyrite sulfur isotopes (δ34Spy), TOC, organic carbon isotopes (δ13Corg), and P phase associations. The P measurements use a sequential extraction method to distinguish the proportion of total P (PTot) associated with detrital apatite (Pdet) relative to potentially bioavailable and reactive (Preac) minerals, including Fe (oxyhydr)oxides (PFe),organic matter (Porg), and authigenic carbonate fluorapatite, biogenic apatite, and CaCO3-bound P (Pauth). For methods, see: S. W. Poulton, D. E. Canfield, Development of a sequential extraction procedure for iron: Implications for iron partitioning in continentally derived particulates. Chem. Geol. 214, 209–221 (2005). Fred T. Bowyer, Alexander J. Krause, Yafang Song, Kang-Jun Huang, Yong Fu, Bing Shen, Jin Li, Xiang-Kun Zhu, Michael A. Kipp, Lennart M. van Maldegem, Jochen J. Brocks, Graham A. Shields, Guillaume Le Hir, Benjamin J. W. Mills, and Simon W. Poulton Biological diversification linked to environmental stabilization following the Sturtian Snowball glaciation. Sci. Adv. 9 (34), eadf9999. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf9999 (2023)

These maps provide an overview, at the national scale, of the spatial relationships between principal aquifers and some of the major shale and clay units in England and Wales. The data comprises a series of occurrence maps shows the distribution of rock units that form the principal aquifers and some major shale and clay units in England and Wales. In addition, a series of separation maps show the vertical separation between pairs of shales or clays and overlying aquifers. If shale gas resources are to be developed in the UK, the implications for groundwater will need to be considered as part of any risk assessment. A step in such an assessment will be to understand and quantify the spatial relationships between the potential shale gas source rocks (including both shales and some clay units) and overlying aquifers. The datasets used to produce the aquifer maps, the shale and clay occurrence maps and the separation maps are available to download for your own use. As with other BGS data sets available for download, this will enable you to work offline to develop your own systems and methodologies using BGS data. The data used to produce the aquifer, shale and clay maps are available below as ESRI GIS and KML files.

The mechanical data (loads, displacements) recorded during double torsion experiments on samples of 6 shale materials and a sandstone. These experiments were conducted on the I12 beamline, Diamond Light Source, Harwell as part of beamtimes EE13824-1 and EE13824-2 between 26/02/17 and 03/03/17. The data were collected using the standard double-torsion technique, with a load cell behind the actuator recording applied force. The method and results are described in detail by Chandler et al, (2018,submitted) "Correlative optical and X-ray imaging of strain evolution during Double Torsion Fracture Toughness measurements in shale" The data was collected with the aim of correlating local deformation around a progressing fracture (through X-Ray and optical imaging) with recorded mechanical data from the loading system. The data was collected by M. Chandler, A-L Fauchille, J. Mecklenburgh, H. K. Kim and L. Ma, and was processed by M. Chandler and R. Rizzo. The complete dataset is present.

The dataset describes the results of high pressure experimental measurements of three contrasting 'tight' rocks; a Bowland Shale, a Haynesville shale and Pennant sandstone. The results are tabulated as a csv file, listing experimental parameters, confining pressure, argon gas pore pressure and permeability. complementary measurements of key petrophysical data are provided - bulk modulus of compressibility, porosity TOC and density.

This dataset contains results from nanoindentation testing of five shale samples from the Horn River Basin (core from wells A100B/94 and D94A/94). The samples are from the following formations: A3 Fort Simpson, A6 Fort Simpson, D1 Muskwa, A16 Otter Park, and A20 Evie. The data is in two sets. Set 1 includes nanoindentation data from all samples, with grids conducted both parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane. In Set 2, additional chemical analysis of select grids (on samples A3, A6 and A20) was undertaken using SEM/EDS. Both sets include the following tab-separated .txt files: grid_para.txt [Load-displacement-time data for each indent (parallel indentation)]; grid_para_summary.txt [Reduced elastic modulus, hardness and creep modulus for each indent (parallel indentation)]; grid_perp.txt [Load-displacement-time data for each indent (perpendicular indentation)]; grid_perp_summary.txt [Reduced elastic modulus, hardness and creep modulus data for each indent (parallel indentation)]. Set 2 also includes .tif files containing SEM images and EDS chemical analysis of the grids. The data has been filtered to remove indents which show 'pop-in' behaviour or time-displacement curves that do not conform to a logarithmic fit. ACKNOWLEDGMENT - The authors wish to thank the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for funding this research through the SHAPE-UK project (grant numbers NE/R018057/1, NE/R017840/1, and NE/R017565/1), which forms Challenge 3 of the UKUH (Unconventional Hydrocarbons in the UK Energy System) programme.

This dataset contains dissolved methane concentrations from groundwater in Great Britain, predominantly from England. Data were collated in Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format from four publicly accessible sources: the British Geological Survey (from Bell et al., 2017), the Environment Agency for England (from the online Water Quality Archive), and local baseline data for the shale gas sites of Preston New Road (from Cuadrilla Resources) and Kirby Misperton (from Third Energy). In total, 2997 dissolved methane concentrations are included in the dataset and were collected from 922 unique locations from October 1992 to July 2018. The data were used within a Bayesian framework to create a dynamic baseline (a baseline that can change in time and space to reflect ongoing environmental change) that can predict the probability that a change in dissolved methane concentration has occurred, for example in the context of monitoring aquifers at shale gas sites using hydraulic fracturing methods. The data presented are the underlying dataset to Wilson et al., 2020, Science of the Total Environment: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134854. Bell, R. A., Darling, W. G., Ward, R. S., Basava-Reddi, L., Halwa, L., Manamsa, K., & Dochartaigh, B. Ó. (2017). A baseline survey of dissolved methane in aquifers of Great Britain. Science of the Total Environment, 601, 1803-1813. Wilson, M. P., Worrall, F., Davies, R. J., & Hart, A. (2020). A dynamic baseline for dissolved methane in English groundwater. Science of The Total Environment, 711, 134854.

Loan IDA number - IDA271576. No data was obtained for microbial cultivation experiments with core samples SSK111460 and SSK111461 from UKGEOS Glasgow Observatory, borehole GGC01. Samples and data are derived from the UK Geoenergy Observatories Programme funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and delivered by the British Geological Survey. Attached document described methodology of enriching sandstone core (SSK111461) in different media types and shale core (SSK111460) in synthetic groundwater. No microbial growth was seen after 7 months.