marcellus shale

“America is too dependent on foreign oil” is a frequent refrain of American politicians and policymakers with an agenda. Now, it seems possible that the immense new discoveries of American shale gas and its liquid twin “tight oil” may be able to displace these imports. But is this realistic?[read more]

fracking and water

David Biello over at Scientific American had a story in 2011 that looked at research establishing a link between methane contamination in well water and nearby hydraulic fracturing of shale rock.[read more]

Tom Reichner/Shutterstock.com

Thanks to ample shale reserves, the combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling and a tax system that encourages development, Pennsylvania’s economy weathered the recession.[read more]

The Dennis Farm is located in Susquehanna County, which “is sitting on the sweet spot in the Marcellus,” according to George Stark, director of external affairs for Cabot Oil and Gas Corp.[read more]

The ‘voices’ in the moderate center that have been drowned out in the increasingly inflammatory debate over the hydraulic fracturing of shale natural gas are getting a growing cadre of credible allies. And with them may come a sensible way to prudently capitalize on the enormous deposits of shale gas throughout parts of the U.S. and the...[read more]

State officials have determined that at least 12 earthquakes that occurred in Ohio were caused by the injection of brine into hydraulic fracturing disposal wells.  As a result of its findings [pdf], the state has established, what it calls, the "nation's toughest regulations" for the fracking disposal wells. Brine is a toxic laden...[read more]

Call it a coincidence but there are undeniable linkages. Crude oil has risen once again is flirting with $100 a barrel. Meanwhile, legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens is ratcheting up his push for legislation that would boost the development of U.S. shale natural gas reserves and deploy the cleanest burning fossil fuel to supplant products...[read more]

I see in The Hill that some critics of shale gas drilling are pointing to a revised estimate of the shale gas resources in the Marcellus formation as evidence that there's not enough gas to justify any risk from hydraulic fracturing. Earlier this week the US Geological Survey updated its previous estimate to 84 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas, a figure substantially less than the estimate of 410 TCF from the Department of Energy. Now, I'd have thought that even without doing the math on this, 84 TCF would still sound like a heck of a lot of gas, even if trillions have become the new billions in another context.[read more]

July was a rough month for the shale gas industry. Marcellus shale wells faced permit suspensions for the withdrawal of water from nearby streams, the media issued reports that various toxic chemicals released during production were migrating to America’s water supplies, and the DEP evaluated claims that methane gas had migrated into aquifers as a result of the fracking process.[read more]

Vast reserves of natural gas unlocked by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” could lower energy prices and reduce emissions across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. now may have enough natural gas resources to power the country for 110 years at 2009 consumption levels. But is the rush to release this new domestic energy source causing environmental and health problems? energyNOW! Chief Correspondent Tyler Suiters explored all sides of Pennsylvania’s shale gas boom, speaking with concerned homeowners, doctors investigating health concerns, industry proponents, and government officials. This special episode hears from people at the center of a debate that could help decide America’s energy future.[read more]

Sometimes a news item informs us about much more than the event in question. I think the recent announcements of new petrochemical projects in the US fall into that category. Both Shell and Dow Chemical are planning new ethylene crackers in the US, a market in which established ethylene facilities were being shut down only a few...[read more]

A forthcoming study from Cornell University may dash the growing reputation natural gas has acquired as the "clean" burning fossil fuel. According to research conducted by Robert Howarth, Renee Santoro, and Anthony Ingraffea, greenhouse gas emissions produced by natural gas derived from unconventional sources, primarily hydraulic...[read more]

After the New York Times recently published an expose on the environmental dangers posed by hydraulic fracturing as a result of lax government regulations on the industry, two members of the House of Representatives have written letters to the Environmental Protection Agency requesting immediate action to address the health risks...[read more]

Yesterday, I listened in to The Energy Collective's webinar titled Is Natural Gas a Step Toward Sustainability or an Obstacle for Renewable Energy? During the question and answer session, Charles Barton, the publisher of Nuclear Green, provided a question for the panel about the radon content of the gas extracted from the Marcellus shale...[read more]

New York state is currently holding a public comment period for an environmental review of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. (Photo: danielfoster437/flickr) As New York gears up for a massive expansion of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, state officials have made a potentially troubling discovery about the wastewater...[read more]