Natural gas sourced from shales has the potential to significantly increase America’s security of energy supply and lower prices for consumers. Along with oil and natural gas liquids, natural gas from shales is the foundation of America’s newly emergent global energy dominance, and 2019 is the third year that the U.S. is a net exporter of natural gas. Over the last decade new horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies have facilitated increased economic production. Today DOE research is targeted towards the development and field testing technologies, tools, and best practices that will improve the understanding of the basic characteristics and nature of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs plus efforts on early-stage midstream research such as advanced materials and sensor research and development for pipeline integrity and new passive sensor platforms.