scholarly journals Marcellus Shale Gas Development and Farming

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle A. Hoy ◽  
Irene M. Xiarchos ◽  
Timothy W. Kelsey ◽  
Kathryn J. Brasier ◽  
Leland L. Glenna
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Dairy Farming ◽  
County Level ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Popular Press ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Unconventional Natural Gas ◽  
Natural Gas Drilling

We study changes in farming in the Marcellus region associated with unconventional natural gas drilling activity. Due to concerns raised by the popular press, we consider 18 different county-level agricultural variables. While we find no significant changes in the number of farms or land in farms in drilling counties relative to non-drilling counties, there is an increase in median farm sizes, indicating potential consolidation in drilling counties. Despite anecdotal evidence suggesting a transition away from dairy farming to either beef or hay production, we find no support for this at the county level.

scholarly journals Evaluating a groundwater supply contamination incident attributed to Marcellus Shale gas development

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (20) ◽  
pp. 6325-6330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth T. Llewellyn ◽  
Frank Dorman ◽  
J. L. Westland ◽  
D. Yoxtheimer ◽  
Paul Grieve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Wells ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Groundwater Supply

High-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) has revolutionized the oil and gas industry worldwide but has been accompanied by highly controversial incidents of reported water contamination. For example, groundwater contamination by stray natural gas and spillage of brine and other gas drilling-related fluids is known to occur. However, contamination of shallow potable aquifers by HVHF at depth has never been fully documented. We investigated a case where Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania caused inundation of natural gas and foam in initially potable groundwater used by several households. With comprehensive 2D gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS), an unresolved complex mixture of organic compounds was identified in the aquifer. Similar signatures were also observed in flowback from Marcellus Shale gas wells. A compound identified in flowback, 2-n-Butoxyethanol, was also positively identified in one of the foaming drinking water wells at nanogram-per-liter concentrations. The most likely explanation of the incident is that stray natural gas and drilling or HF compounds were driven ∼1–3 km along shallow to intermediate depth fractures to the aquifer used as a potable water source. Part of the problem may have been wastewaters from a pit leak reported at the nearest gas well pad—the only nearby pad where wells were hydraulically fractured before the contamination incident. If samples of drilling, pit, and HVHF fluids had been available, GCxGC-TOFMS might have fingerprinted the contamination source. Such evaluations would contribute significantly to better management practices as the shale gas industry expands worldwide.

Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region: well pad densities and aquatic communities

Hydrobiologia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 795 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Keller ◽  
Richard J. Horwitz ◽  
Jerry V. Mead ◽  
Thomas J. Belton
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Aquatic Communities ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Natural Gas Drilling

Tackling “Wicked Problems” in Planning Studio Courses

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Balassiano
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Wicked Problems ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Natural Gas Drilling

Planning practitioners encounter both “tame” and “wicked” problems in the workplace. Conventional planning studios generally prepare students for the less complex or tame problems, but politically contentious studios fraught with uncertainty will simulate a more realistic, if not more challenging, studio experience. In this study, I use content analysis of university syllabi to determine the degree to which planning studios are preparing students to tackle “wicked problems” upon graduation. Then, based on the lessons learned from a workshop pertaining to natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, I offer guidance to instructors of studio-type courses who wish to introduce their students to complex problem solving.

Prevalence of ANCA-associated vasculitis amid natural gas drilling sites in West Virginia

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devan Makati ◽  
James Akers ◽  
Muhammad Aljuhani ◽  
Bethany Pellegrino ◽  
Rebecca Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
West Virginia ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Anca Associated Vasculitis ◽  
Natural Gas Drilling

Quantitative Prediction of Radon Concentration at Wellhead in Shale Gas Development

SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 235-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Tian ◽  
Xingru Wu ◽  
Tong Shen ◽  
Zhenyu Zhang ◽  
Sumeer Kalra
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Shale Gas ◽  
Radon Concentration ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Natural Fracture ◽  
Quantitative Prediction ◽  
Radon Gas

Summary Hydraulic fracturing has been applied as an effective method to increase gas production from shale formations; however, this method has also raised concerns about its adverse impacts on environment. For example, in the Marcellus shale formation, some measured radon-gas concentrations exceeded the safe standard. Therefore, it is important to quantitatively evaluate radon concentration from fractured wells. However, existing researches have not successfully conducted a systematic and predictive study on the relationship between shale gas production and radon concentration at the wellhead of a hydraulically fractured well. To address this issue and quantitatively determine the radon concentration, we present the mechanisms of radon-gas generation and releasing, and conducted numerical simulations on its transport process in the subsurface formation system. The concentration of radon in produced gas is related with the original sources where the natural gas is extracted. Radon, generated from the radium alpha decay process, is trapped in pore spaces before the reservoir development. With the fluid flowing through the subsurface network, released radon will move to surface with the produced streams such as natural gas and flowback water. Our study shows that the radon concentration at wellhead could be significant. Influential factors such as natural-fracture-network properties, formation petrophysical parameters, and fracture dimension are investigated with sensitivity studies through numerical simulations. Analysis results suggest that radon wellhead concentration is strongly related with production rate. Thus, careful production design and protection are necessary to reduce radon hazard regarding the public and environmental impact.

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