A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE MARCELLUS SHALE
Open Access
- Author:
- Tracy, Ashley
- Area of Honors:
- Civil Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Brian A. Dempsey, Thesis Supervisor
Brian A. Dempsey, Thesis Supervisor
Eric Todd Donnell, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Marcellus Shale
Pennsylvania
hydraulic fracturing
horizontal drilling
The Halliburton Loophole
The FRAC Act - Abstract:
- Extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin is a hotly contested topic; it brings economic prosperity in a time of need, but poor management of associated environmental issues could leave lasting adverse human health effects. In August 2011, the United States Geological Survey estimated the quantity of recoverable natural gas in the Marcellus Shale at 70 trillion cubic feet. The Marcellus Shale is one of the largest shale deposits on Earth. With the exploitation of the shale comes the rebirth of industry in states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. In addition, shale gas is a reliable source of locally produced fuel that may foster independence from foreign oil; replacements from coal to natural gas-fired power plants have the potential to reduce carbon and other pollutant emissions. What caused the recent interest in the Marcellus was commodity price coupled with two technologies that made it financially attractive: horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing produces over 500,000 gallons of wastewater per well, containing carcinogenic chemicals, heavy metals, radioactivity, and salt. This flowback fluid has a few disposal options: treatment at industrial wastewater treatment plants, beneficial reuse, or injection in deep wells. The tradeoff is found in the limited regulatory preparedness to deal with the rapid expansion of the industry in Pennsylvania. State and federal officials are in a position to amplify or mitigate these concerns. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if current legislation is adequate to safeguard residents from the potential adverse health effects of hydraulic fracturing, and to ensure the financial prosperity of Pennsylvania for generations to come. This thesis is intended a guide for readers with a limited understanding of the topic. To familiarize the reader, included is an overview of the geology, history, technology, fluid disposal options, and water quality concerns associated with drilling the Marcellus Shale. Following is discussion on current and impending legislation regarding gas production both on the state and federal levels. Information was derived from research papers published by government agencies, academia, gas companies, activist groups, and coalition groups; ancillary information on human health effects was garnered from groups more distanced from the subject. It was found that the legislation may be sufficient to protect human health, as long as appropriate standards are set and subsequently followed. However, there is a stark imbalance between the number of inspection staff and volume of activity, so the enforceability of these standards comes into question. Moving forward, federal legislation requiring full disclosure of hydraulic fracturing chemicals and redefinition of hydraulic fracturing to be covered under the Safe Drinking Water Act would serve to further protect residents. It was also determined that Pennsylvania should implement a gas production tax similar to the ones found in 98% of other gas producing states. This legislation is critical to ensuring Pennsylvania’s financial and environmental well-being.