Abstract World energy demand is mostly satisfied by fossil fuels. Last couple of years, especially in Europe, cleaner sources of energy are promoted amongst which is natural gas. Given the fact that most of the conventional reserves are considerably depleted, oil industry has turned to the new sources of gas from the so called unconventional reservoirs. According to evaluations, potential world reserves are as high as 921×10^12 m3, which is five times more than the amount of gas whithheld in conventional reservoirs. More than 50% of unconventional gas is trapped in shales. Potential unconventional gas reserves in Europe are estimated to be around 36×10^12 m3. This is a rather high amount and it can make a significant impact on European energy market. It will also have a significant impact on the import of gas in some countries which will be able to produce the natural gas, as well as reduced usage of other fossil fuels with higher CO2 emissions. Poland is the first country in Europe that achieved notable production from unconventional reservoirs. There are no legal obstacles in most of the European countries, but some countries (France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania) have imposed a moratorium on extraction of shale gas, primarily because of hydraulic fracturing. Hence, if those countries are put aside, predictions are that the unconventional gas will have a bright future, some writers even say that it will enter the “golden age“.