This paper introduces an information analysis to identify requirements, challenges, and perspectives related to shale gas exploitation in Mexico. The study is based on Technology intelligence for the period 2000 to 2019. The results show an increasing trend concerning scientific publications from 2000 to 2016, and an oscillatory behavior in the last three years; a total of 11720 scientific documents have been published in the period of study. The contribution of Mexico to global scientific production is only 0.3%. Regarding industrial information, 9090 patent applications have been generated worldwide; among them, only 27 were received by the Mexican patents office. The most frequent topics in the patent applications are Chemistry and Metallurgy (20%) and Fixed constructions for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials, or minerals slurry from wells (14%). Cross technology is an emerging topic that concentrates 8% of the patent applications. The analyzed information is used to propose a general strategy, based on the theory of inventive problem solving, for the sustainable exploitation of shale gas. From all the analysis performed, it is possible to conclude that shale gas implies critical challenges for Mexican society's different sectors.
Keywords: Shale gas; unconventional hydrocarbon; alternative fossil fuel; T.R.I.Z.