Shale Gas Activities Research Articles

Influence of shale gas development on core forests in the subtropical karst region in southwestern China

Core forests are an important component of forest landscapes and wildlife habitat. Although the core forests were damaged during the development of shale gas sites, it remain unclear how much damage the shale gas development has caused to this ecologically vulnerable region. We analyzed high-resolution remote sensing images of a shale gas development area in 2012, 2014, and 2017 in the karst region in southwestern China. The results showed that the core forest area decreased by approximately 4.0% from 2012 to 2017. Of this decrease, approximately 32.3% was related to the shale gas development activities, while 67.7% was related to other human activities, i.e., agricultural lands and residential developments. Approximately 5.6% of the decrease in the core forest was for new pipelines, with 0.5 ha occurred in 2012–2014 and 248.6 ha occurred in 2014–2017. Of the shale gas development activities, the pipeline constructions were most detrimental to the core forest. The patchiness of the core forest increased by 8.2% from 2012 to 2017 by the expansions of dry fields, towns, and settlements. The core forest Effective Mesh Size (MESH) decreased by 86.3%, primarily caused by the shale gas development pipelines. In conclusion, human activities that were not directly related to shale gas development were the main driver of the core forest decreases. The pipelines caused most losses of the core forest among the shale gas activities and the impacts deteriorated as the shale gas development proceeds. Therefore, we propose that new shale gas pads should be placed adjacent to existing shale gas pipelines and new shale gas pipelines should be constructed in parallel with existing roads to reduce the damages on core forest.

Monitoring Marcellus: A Case Study of a Collaborative Volunteer Monitoring Project to Document the Impact of Unconventional Shale Gas Extraction on Small Streams

The rapid growth of the natural gas extraction industry in Pennsylvania and neighboring states has stirred concerned citizens to seek ways to collect data on water quality impacts from the extraction activi- ties. As a response to requests from community members, the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) developed a volunteer-friendly protocol in 2010 for early detection and reporting of surface water contamination by shale gas extraction activities in small streams. To date, ALLARM has trained more than 2,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia to monitor water quality (conductivity, barium, strontium, and total dissolved solids) and physical parameters (stream stage and visual observations) prior to, during, and after shale gas wells have been developed. This paper documents the operational models of Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR) used by ALLARM, describes the volunteer monitoring protocol developed, and examines three years of water quality results from hundreds of monitoring sites in Pennsylvania and New York. The majority of watersheds monitored are small, forested, headwater streams. Results indicate that mean conductivity in streams is strongly and positively related to the percentage of development and the percentage of limestone in the watersheds. Mean conductivity is not significantly related to number or density of drilled wells, although the dataset did not lend itself to finding a signal from shale gas activities because only 20% of the watersheds had wells drilled at the time of sampling. This fact enables the use of these data as baseline data for future documentation of shale gas impacts on water quality. Volunteers have reported multiple cases of visual pollution related to shale gas activities, but have not identified water contamination events based on stream water chemistry. The results of the volunteer dataset are compared with results from the scientific literature, affirming the credibility and usefulness of the data. Some lessons learned from this project include: The importance of strong and timely support to volunteers to ensure accurate reporting in real-time; the unique role that citi- zen scientists can play in a rural landscape where well sites are remote and government oversight is not prac- tical; and the importance of customizing a PPSR operational model to fit the goals and scale of the project. Recommendations for continued collection and analysis of data include: 1) develop and implement an intentional study design to monitor those watersheds that now have baseline data once drilling begins, 2) target watersheds whose characteristics are under-represented in this dataset, 3) consider the analysis of additional parameters and the monitoring of high risk systems, 4) develop a central, user-friendly data- base for volunteers to submit their own data and receive preliminary analyses, and 5) partner with other volunteer data collectors to collaborate with data analysis and interpretation.

Enhancing water security in a rapidly developing shale gas region

Study regionThis study is based in the rapidly developing shale gas region of Northeast British Columbia, Canada. Study focusWater security is central to decision-making within a water–energy nexus. In areas where energy resources, such as shale gas, are undergoing rapid development, water security and the associated risks to water quality and quantity are of paramount concern. However, in many regions there is a lack of understanding and data on the hydrologic system, particularly its vulnerability to hazards. The data and knowledge gap poses challenges for effective regulation of the shale gas activities and management of water resources. This paper describes initiatives that are addressing concerns surrounding water security in Northeast British Columbia. New hydrological insights for the regionInitiatives and tools enhancing water security in the region include strategic partnerships and stakeholder collaborations, policy and regulation development, and data collection and distribution efforts. The contributions and limitations of each of these are discussed. A vulnerability mapping framework is presented which addresses data gaps and provides a tool for decision-making surrounding risk to water quality from various hazards. An example vulnerability assessment was conducted for wastewater transport along pipeline and trucking corridors.

Statistical evaluation of the impact of shale gas activities on ozone pollution in North Texas

Over the past decade, substantial growth in shale gas exploration and production across the US has changed the country's energy outlook. Beyond its economic benefits, the negative impacts of shale gas development on air and water are less well known. In this study the relationship between shale gas activities and ground-level ozone pollution was statistically evaluated. The Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) area in north-central Texas was selected as the study region. The Barnett Shale, which is one the most productive and fastest growing shale gas fields in the US, is located in the western half of DFW. Hourly meteorological and ozone data were acquired for fourteen years from monitoring stations established and operated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The area was divided into two regions, the shale gas region (SGR) and the non-shale gas (NSGR) region, according to the number of gas wells in close proximity to each monitoring site. The study period was also divided into 2000–2006 and 2007–2013 because the western half of DFW has experienced significant growth in shale gas activities since 2007. An evaluation of the raw ozone data showed that, while the overall trend in the ozone concentration was down over the entire region, the monitoring sites in the NSGR showed an additional reduction of 4% in the annual number of ozone exceedance days than those in the SGR. Directional analysis of ozone showed that the winds blowing from areas with high shale gas activities contributed to higher ozone downwind. KZ-filtering method and linear regression techniques were used to remove the effects of meteorological variations on ozone and to construct long-term and short-term meteorologically adjusted (M.A.) ozone time series. The mean value of all M.A. ozone components was 8% higher in the sites located within the SGR than in the NSGR. These findings may be useful for understanding the overall impact of shale gas activities on the local and regional ozone pollution.

Habitat loss and modification due to gas development in the Fayetteville shale.

Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have become major methods to extract new oil and gas deposits, many of which exist in shale formations in the temperate deciduous biome of the eastern United States. While these technologies have increased natural gas production to new highs, they can have substantial environmental effects. We measured the changes in land use within the maturing Fayetteville Shale gas development region in Arkansas between 2001/2002 and 2012. Our goal was to estimate the land use impact of these new technologies in natural gas drilling and predict future consequences for habitat loss and fragmentation. Loss of natural forest in the gas field was significantly higher compared to areas outside the gas field. The creation of edge habitat, roads, and developed areas was also greater in the gas field. The Fayetteville Shale gas field fully developed about 2% of the natural habitat within the region and increased edge habitat by 1,067 linear km. Our data indicate that without shale gas activities, forest cover would have increased slightly and edge habitat would have decreased slightly, similar to patterns seen recently in many areas of the southern U.S. On average, individual gas wells fully developed about 2.5 ha of land and modified an additional 0.5 ha of natural forest. Considering the large number of wells drilled in other parts of the eastern U.S. and projections for new wells in the future, shale gas development will likely have substantial negative effects on forested habitats and the organisms that depend upon them.

Zoning Power and Property Rights after Robinson Township

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently held that some portions of Act 13 of 2012 are unconstitutional. This ruling returned the right to zone for shale gas activities to the local municipal governments, allowing them to zone as they feel necessary. As a result, many communities located in these areas of existing or potential shale gas development will likely revisit their current zoning ordinances. While revisiting these ordinances, different viewpoints will surely play a role in determining how zoning will regulate shale gas activities. Any revisions or new enactments of zoning ordinances must be within the police power of the municipality. The courts have developed a framework of analysis to be used when determining such. This analysis must consider the interaction between environmental law, environmental concerns, property law, and community concerns. How these factors weigh will likely decide what future development is regulated. This article gives a broad overview of this interaction. It briefly discusses Act 13, the effect it had on zoning, and how Robinson Township affects this interaction. Next, it outlines the common regulatory scheme of zoning ordinances. It discusses the power municipalities have, allowing them to zone and police the land within their boundaries. Finally, it discusses how those regulatory schemes may be limited in their powers. These limits include the inability to engage in exclusionary zoning, including de facto exclusionary zoning.

In Search of the Legal Basis for Environmental and Energy Regulation at the EU Level: The Case of Unconventional Gas Extraction

The relation of the energy and environmental competences in the European Union (EU) in terms of renewable energy and its promotion and impact on climate change has been subject to intense academic discussion as well as to judicial review. The general tendency is for measures regarding renewable energy to be passed on both competences, depending on the specific content and objective. Other forms of energy, however, have not been included in this debate. The outcome outside the area of renewable energy is expected to be quite different. Shale gas extraction, for example, is associated with negative, or at least problematic, environmental impacts, alongside the benefits it offers to the security of the EU's energy supply. Consequently, the question of competence is not straightforward. This article analyzes the interplay and conflicts between the energy and environmental titles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in the context of shale gas activities. The article further explores the importance of ‘significance’ in this setting, and how this concept is crucial in determining the appropriate decision‐making procedure to pass a legal measure on shale gas in practice.

Minimising the impact of shale and tight gas projects in Western Australia: an assessment of the existing regulatory framework

This paper analyses the WA legal framework that regulates the impact of shale and tight gas project development, especially during the extended appraisal phase. It assesses whether the existing regulatory framework in WA is more suited to conventional petroleum projects, particularly regarding the application of the Environmental Plan requirements, and triggers for referral to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) during the extended appraisal phase of project development. This paper not only seeks to understand whether the existing framework is suited to the commercial development of shale and tight gas resources in WA, it also provides information and points of discussion for industry and regulators so that there might be a consensus in the development of shale and tight gas (especially during the field appraisal and development phase) in the existing WA regulatory framework, and the development of shale gas resources in Australia generally. The paper initially considers the existing regulatory framework of shale and tight gas activities in WA, including an examination of the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum as the lead agency in the development of unconventional gas resources. It also assesses whether the existing regulatory framework for shale and tight gas activities in WA is best practice for the appraisal phase of shale and tight gas activities.

The shale revolution: Global gas and oil markets under transformation

The shale gas and oil revolution has unexpectedly and forcefully begun to change the energy landscape in the USA. It is expected to spread beyond the USA, with far reaching implications for the global energy map, but also for the macroeconomy and politics of many countries. The purpose of this paper is to bring a better understanding to what prompted the revolution, to assess the production methods and associated environmental concerns, to speculate what can reasonably be expected in coming decades, and to sketch the full impact of a ripening shale revolution on the emerging economic and political policy choices for energy exporting and importing countries. We find that a large scale expansion can be expected in US shale gas and oil activities in the coming two decades. Globally, the shale leaders are likely to be countries that are already significant gas and oil producers. Setting up a policy framework to allow and promote shale development in a safe manner is a necessity for the launch of shale exploitation. The most important implication of a successful shale revolution would arguably be a downward pressure on gas and coal prices in regional markets and on the global oil price.

Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania

This letter provides a first-order estimate of conventional air pollutant emissions, and the monetary value of the associated environmental and health damages, from the extraction of unconventional shale gas in Pennsylvania. Region-wide estimated damages ranged from $7.2 to $32 million dollars for 2011. The emissions from Pennsylvania shale gas extraction represented only a few per cent of total statewide emissions, and the resulting statewide damages were less than those estimated for each of the state’s largest coal-based power plants. On the other hand, in counties where activities are concentrated, NOx emissions from all shale gas activities were 20–40 times higher than allowable for a single minor source, despite the fact that individual new gas industry facilities generally fall below the major source threshold for NOx. Most emissions are related to ongoing activities, i.e., gas production and compression, which can be expected to persist beyond initial development and which are largely unrelated to the unconventional nature of the resource. Regulatory agencies and the shale gas industry, in developing regulations and best practices, should consider air emissions from these long-term activities, especially if development occurs in more populated areas of the state where per-ton emissions damages are significantly higher.

Unconventional Shale Gas Development and Real Estate Valuation Issues

This article provides an overview of the real estate valuation issues related to unconventional shale gas activities, particularly those related to hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” With the research on this topic in its infancy, we focus more on the valuation issues that can arise as opposed to those that have arisen. Central to this discussion are the factors associated with fracking activities that could alter the existing risk context of real estate valuation in communities and the role that information plays in developing risk perceptions. As current examples of these issues, we discuss some specific legal and regulatory changes that have arisen in Pennsylvania.

Processing dipole acoustic logging data to image fracture network in shale gas reservoirs

A recent advance in borehole remote acoustic reflection imaging is the utilization of a dipole acoustic system in a borehole to emit and receive elastic waves to and from a remote geologic reflector in formation. An important application of this new technique is the delineation of fracture network in shale gas reservoirs, as interest and activities in shale gas exploration increase in China. We develop a data processing procedure and implement it to handle routine processing of dipole acoustic logging data. The procedure takes into account the characteristics of the dipole data, such as frequency, dispersion, attenuation, recording length, and dipole source orientation, etc., to obtain an image of reflectors within 20~30 meters around the borehole. We have applied the technique to process dipole acoustic data from several wells drilled into gas reservoirs in China. The obtained images clearly identify major fracture network in the gas producing intervals of the reservoir, demonstrating the effectiveness of the imaging technique.

Public awareness and opinion on CCS in the province of Québec, Canada

AbstractCO2 capture and geological storage (CCS) is a major topic of interest in Canada, where many CCS projects are either underway or in the planning stage. In order to get information about public acceptance for a potential CCS pilot project in the province of Québec, two identical Internet‐based public awareness and opinion surveys were conducted: one in 2010 and one in 2011. Results of the two surveys show that respondents are not really aware of what climate change is and that they know almost nothing about CCS. In 2010, respondents did not generally reject CCS technology or a potential pilot project in their region. In fact, they were slightly favorable toward such a project. In 2011, the picture changed slightly as an intense debate on shale gas exploration had taken place in the province at the end of 2010. It appears that respondents were less likely to be favorable toward the use of CCS. It is not possible to specifically link the increase of respondents against CCS or a potential pilot project and the increase of security concerns to the debate regarding shale gas exploration. However, the social context in a region where controversial shale gas activities are underway may not be the best for a potential CCS pilot project to become accepted by the local community. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Shale Gas in Europe: pragmatic perspectives and actions

Natural gas will continue to play a key role in the EU’s energy mix in the coming years, with unconventional gas’ role increasing in importance as new resources are exploited worldwide. As far as Europe’s own shale gas resources are concerned, it is especially the public’s perception and level of acceptance that will make or break shale gas in the near-term. Both the pros and cons need to be discussed based on factual argument rather than speculation. Research organizations such as ours (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) have an active and defining role to play in remedying this deficiency. As far as science and technology developments are concerned, the project “Gas Shales in Europe” (GASH) and the shale gas activities of “GeoEnergie” (GeoEn) are the first major initiatives in Europe focused on shale gas. Basic and applied geoscientific research is conducted to understand the fundamental nature and interdependencies of the processes leading to shale gas formation. When it comes to knowledge transfer, the perceived and real risks associated with shale gas exploitation need immediate evaluation in Europe using scientific analysis. To proactively target these issues, the GFZ and partners are launching the European sustainable Operating Practices (E-SOP) Initiative for Unconventional Resources. The web-based Shale Gas Information Platform (SHIP) brings these issues into the public domain.