Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T02:36:53.635Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Unconventional Shale Gas and Oil Extraction in the Appalachian Basin

from Part I - Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
John F. Stolz  and
W. Michael Griffin
Edited by
John Stolz ,
Daniel Bain  and
Michael Griffin
John Stolz
Affiliation:
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
Daniel Bain
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Michael Griffin
Affiliation:
Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
Get access

Summary

The United States has an abundance of shale plays and unconventional oil and gas drilling now occurs in over 30 states. Major development has occurred in North Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The technological advances included the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, new slick water formulations, and improvements in drilling technologies and fracking design such as “zipper fracking”. The upstream sector includes pre-drilling activities, pad preparation, drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion. The midstream sector includes pipeline construction and maintenance and processing facilities that separate the products of mixed gas. These processing facilities can be quite extensive, especially in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and the panhandle of West Virginia where wet gas predominates. This review presents an overview of unconventional gas extraction in the Appalachian Basin as currently practiced in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Keywords

horizontal drillinghydraulic fracturingproppantshale
Type
Chapter
Information
Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves , pp. 19 - 43
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbad, M, Dyer, S, Ligneul, P, and Badri, M. (2015). In-line water separation: a new promising concept for water debottlenecking close to the wellhead. SPE-172687-MS.Google Scholar
Afework, B, Hanania, J, Stenhouse, K, and Donev, J. (2020). Pipeline. https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Pipeline. Retrieved August 2, 2020.Google Scholar
Auzanneau, M. (2018). Oil, Power, and War, a Dark History. Chelsea Green Publishing.Google Scholar
Baihly, J, Altman, R, Malpani, R, and Luo, F. (2010). Shale gas production decline trend comparison over time and basin. Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE. 135555.Google Scholar
Bain, DJ, Cantlay, T, Tisherman, R, and Stolz, JF. (2022). Deciphering water contamination in areas with legacy conventional development. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Belyadi, H, Fathi, E, and Belyadi, F. (2019). Hydraulic Fracturing in Unconventional Reservoirs: Theory, Operations, and Economic Analysis, 2nd ed. Elsevier.Google Scholar
Brown, VJ (2014) Radionuclides in fracking wastewater: managing a toxic blend. Environmental Health Perspectives 122:A50-A55.Google Scholar
Cabot Oil and Gas. (2017). Q2 earnings call transcript.Google Scholar
Carter, KM, Harper, JA, Schmid, KW, and Kostelnik, J. (2011). Unconventional natural gas resources in Pennsylvania: The backstory of the modern Marcellus Shale play. Environmental Geosciences. 18: 217–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chapter 32 title 58 Oil and Gas. (2020). www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/58/00.032.HTM. Retrieved August 6, 2020.Google Scholar
Chesapeake Energy. (2009). Operational release 7-30-09.Google Scholar
Colborn, T, Kwiatkowski, C, Schultz, K, and Bachran, M. (2011). Natural gas operations from a public health perspective. Human Ecological Risk Assessment Journal. 17: 1039–1056.Google Scholar
Eaton, D. (2022). Seismicity induced by the development of unconventional oil and gas resources. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Engelder, T. (2009). Marcellus 2008: Report card on the breakout year for gas production in the Appalachian Basin: Fort Worth Basin Oil and Gas Magazine, Issue 20, pp. 18–22.Google Scholar
Evans, K, Holzhausen, G, and Wood, GM. (1982). The geometry of large-scale nitrogen gas hydraulic fracture formed in Devonian Shale: An example of fracture mapping with tiltmeters. Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal. 22: 755–763.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). (2020). Landowner topics of interest. www.ferc.gov/industries-data/natural-gas/landowner-topics-interest. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Registry. (2020). www.fracfocus.org/index.php?p=learn/what-is-fracturing-fluid-made-of. Retrieved July 31, 2020.Google Scholar
George, E. (2016). Fracking 101: A Beginners Guide to Hydraulic Fracturing. Q Press Publishing.Google Scholar
Gleason, S. (1934). Slanted oil wells. Popular Science Monthly. 124(5): 40–41. www.drillingformulas.com/what-are-positive-displacement-mud-motors-in-drilling-for-oil-and-gas/ Retrieved July 31, 2020.Google Scholar
Governor’s Center for Local Government Services. (2001). Special exceptions, conditional uses and variances. Planning Series #7, Eight edition, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.Google Scholar
Graham, J and Rupp, J. (2022). Governance of fracking: Trends and challenges. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Groat, CG and Grimshaw, TW. (2012). Fact-Based Regulation for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development. The Energy Institute of The University of Texas at Austin.Google Scholar
Groundwater Protection Council (GWPC). (2009). Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: A Primer, prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy. National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).Google Scholar
Halliburton. (2011). Tilt fracture mapping, measuring fracture-induced rock deformation to provide downhole clarity. Pinnacle Technologies Bulletin.Google Scholar
Horwitt, D. (2016). Toxic secrets: Companies exploit weak US chemical rules to hide fracking risks. Partnership for Policy Integrity..Google Scholar
Hughes, JD. (2013). Drill, Baby, Drill: Can Unconventional Fuels Usher in a New Era of Energy Abundance. Post Carbon Institute.Google Scholar
Hughes, JD. (2019). Shale Reality Check 2019: Drilling into the U.S. Government Optimistic Forecasts for Shale and Tight Oil Production through 2050. Post Carbon Institute.Google Scholar
Jeffrey, C and Creegan, A. (2020). Adaptive drilling application uses AI to enhance on-bottom drilling performance. Journal of Petroleum Technology. 72(8) https://pubs.spe.org/en/jpt/jpt-article-detail/?art=7392Google Scholar
Johnson, N, Gagnolet, T, Ralls, R, and Stevens, J. (2011). Pennsylvania energy impacts assessment report 2: natural gas pipelines. The Nature Conservancy.Google Scholar
Lampe, DJ and Stolz, JF. (2015). Current perspectives on unconventional shale gas extraction in the Appalachian Basin.Google Scholar
Manning, FS and Thompson, RE. (1991). Oilfield Processing of Petroleum Volume 1: Natural Gas. Pennwell Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Mayerhofer, MJ and Lolon, EP. (2006). Integration of Microseismic Fracture Mapping Results with Numerical Fracture Network Production Modeling in the Barnett Shale. Society of Petroleum Engineers.Google Scholar
McCarron, G and Dougall, S. (2022). An overview of unconventional gas extraction in Australia. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Milici, RC and Swezey, CS. (2006). Assessment of Appalachian Basin oil and gas resources: Devonian shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System. Open-File Report Series 2006-1237. United States Geological Survey.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Netzkarsch, Mosquera. (2016). Impact on the Air Quality of the new Shell Ethane Cracker Plant in Beaver County. Capstone Report, Center for Environmental Research and Education, Duquesne University.Google Scholar
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop. The National Academies Press. doi:org/10.17226/24620Google Scholar
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018a). Onshore Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development: Legacy Issues and Innovations in Managing Risk-Day 1: Proceedings of a Workshop. The National Academies Press. doi:org/10.17226/25067.Google Scholar
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018b). Onshore Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development: Induced Seismicity and Innovations in Managing Risk-Day 2: Proceedings of a Workshop. The National Academies Press. doi:org/10.17226/25083Google Scholar
National Petroleum Council. (1980). Unconventional Gas Sources, Volume III: Devonian Shale: Report Prepared for the U.S. Secretary of Energy, June, 1980, National Petroleum Council.Google Scholar
NaturalGas.org. (2013). Processing Natural Gas. http://naturalgas.org/naturalgas/processing-ng/ Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). (2011). Revised Draft General Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) on the Oil, Gas, and Solution Mining Regulatory Program: Well Permit Issuance for Horizontal Drilling and High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing to Develop the Marcellus Shale and Other Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs.Google Scholar
Nixon, S. (2022). The microbiology of shale gas extraction. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Act. (1979). www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/HTM/1979/0/0060..HTM Retrieved June 2, 2020.Google Scholar
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act. (2012) (Act 13). www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/li/uconsCheck.cfm?yr=2012&sessInd=0&act=13 Retrieved June 2, 2020.Google Scholar
Pratt, D. (2019). Unconventional Gas Extraction in Southwestern Pennsylvania: Production, Water Quality, and Complaints. Master’s thesis, Duquesne University.Google Scholar
Presto, AA and Li, X. (2022). Air quality. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Shao, H, Kabilan, S, Stephens, S, Suresh, N, Beck, AN, Varga, T, Martin, PF, Kuprat, A, Jung, HB, Um, W, Bonneville, A, Heldebrant, DJ, Carroll, KC, Moore, J, and Fernandez, CA. (2015). Environmentally friendly, rheoreversible, hydraulic-fracturing fluids for enhanced geothermal systems. Geothermics. 58: 22–31.Google Scholar
Sharpe, E. (2014). How oil drilling works. Energy Ink Magazine. Spring 2014. https://energyink.us/4-Issue-Spring-14xC.html. Retrieved August 18, 2020.Google Scholar
Soeder, DJ. (1988). Porosity and permeability of eastern Devonian gas shale, Society of Petroleum Engineers Formation Evaluation. Society of Petroleum Engineers. 3: 116–124.Google Scholar
Stewart, BW and Capo, RC. (2022). Metal isotope signatures for unconventional oil and gas fluids. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Swindell, GS. (2018). Estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) study of 5,000 Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania. www.gswindell.com/marcellus_eur.htm. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
Townsend-Small, A. (2022). Isotopes as tracers of atmospheric and groundwater methane sources. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2013). U.S. shale gas production. www.eia.gov/naturalgas/. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
U.S. EIA. (2016). U.S. Map, lower 48 states shale plays. www.eia.gov/maps/images/shale_gas_lower48.jpg. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
US EIA. (2019). The United States expands its role as world’s leading ethane exporter. www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=38232 Accessed June 2, 2020.Google Scholar
US EIA. (2020). Natural Gas Annual, September 2020.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Transportation. (2020). PHMSA, FERC sign memorandum of understanding to strengthen safety review and permitting process for LNG facility proposals. www.phmsa.dot.gov/news/phmsa-ferc-sign-memorandum-understanding-strengthen-safety-review-and-permitting-process-lng-0. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas: Impacts from the hydraulic fracturing water cycle on drinking water resources in the United States (Final Report). Report EPA/600/R-16/236F.Google Scholar
U.S. Public Law 109-58. Energy Policy Act of 2005 , 109th Congress www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-109publ58/pdf/PLAW-109publ58.pdf Retrieved June 2, 2020.Google Scholar
Veatch, RW, King, GE, and Holditch, SA. (2017). Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturing. PennWell Books.Google Scholar
Warner, N, Ajemigbitse, MA, Pankratz, K, and McDevitt, B. (2022). NORMS. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wells, BA. (2020). Shooters – a “fracking” history. American Oil & Gas Historical Society. URL: https://aoghs.org/technology/hydraulic-fracturing. Retrieved August 3, 2020.Google Scholar
Wilson, JM and VanBriesen, JM. (2022). Waster usage and management. In Stolz, JF, Griffin, WM, and Bain, DJ (eds.) Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Yan, H, Tian, L, Feng, R, Mitri, H, Chen, J, He, K, Zhang, Y, Yang, S, and Xu, Z. (2020). Liquid nitrogen waterless fracking for the environmental protection of arid areas during unconventional resource extraction. Science of the Total Environment. 721: 137719, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137719Google Scholar
Zammerilli, A, Murray, RC, Davis, T, and Littlefield, J. (2014). Environmental impacts of unconventional natural gas development and production. U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory. DOE/NETL-2014/1651.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×