Marcellus Shale Boom Losing Steam?
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The shale gas boom is slowing in the Marcellus formation, according to the Christian Science Monitor. But, the slowdown isn’t because the product is lacking, there’s plenty of oil and gas. It’s the low demand and the lack of pipelines that are bringing production to a crawl.
Plenty of oil and gas being produced
Production is going strong in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale, so strong, in fact, that pipelines and demand can’t keep up.
The Christian Science Monitor spoke to Kathryn Klaber, the president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. This is what she said:
“I do think we’re going to see growth in 2013, but the rate of growth will slow,” Nikhanj said. But he added that drillers are getting “better and better” at improving the output for each well.”
She said that producers are in a ‘holding pattern’ until new pipelines come and the price of natural gas increases. According to Klaber, there’s many wells waiting to go online
Until the price of natural gas increases Pennsylvania’s Marcellus may remain largely untapped.
» Via: The Christian Science Monitor › Shale gas boom slows in Marcellus formation
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.