SEES Fellows: Sustainable Development of Shale-gas Resources in Pennsylvania - Bridging Science, Policy and Economics of Hydraulic Fracturing

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This research will address two questions related to the regulation and economics of shale-gas development: 1) How would inclusion of hydraulic fracturing of shale-gas formations under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act impact shale-gas production activities and risks of fresh water contamination? 2) What are the comparative long-term costs and benefits of the hydraulic fracturing of shale-gas reservoirs compared to other energy development strategies? The approach will combine comparative policy analysis with an economic assessment of the environmental externalities and opportunity costs associated with the hydraulic fracturing of shale-gas reservoirs. The goal is to develop an approach for choosing regulations that minimize risk to the environment while allowing for robust development of shale-gas reserves. Recent advances in directional drilling have made unconventional extraction of natural gas from organic-rich shale formations economically viable. The state of Pennsylvania serves as a prime case study for sustainable shale-gas development because it is underlain by one of the most promising shale-gas reservoirs in the United States, the Marcellus Shale. The rapid investment in shale-gas extraction by the oil and gas industry has outpaced the development of regulatory policy designed to handle the unique environmental challenges associated with extensive hydraulic fracturing activities. The assessments to be carried out in this project will help guide the development of sound regulatory policy that will ensure the security of fresh water resources and the safety of citizens in close proximity to extraction wells. This project is supported under the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows (SEES Fellows) program, with the goal of helping to enable discoveries needed to inform actions that lead to environmental, energy and societal sustainability while creating the necessary workforce to address these challenges. With SEES Fellows support, this project will enable a promising early career researcher to establish themselves in an independent research career related to sustainability.