Shale Gas

Greening of America?
By Ethan Bellavance, Kaylyn
Hawkes, Justin Grodman, Dan Hale,
Caitlin Shea

What is Shale Gas?

95.5% Methane, 2.5%
Ethane, 0.2% Propane.
Large Domestic Source of
energy
5.4 Tcf/year in 1998 to
8.9 Tcf/year in 2007

http://www.uniongas.com/aboutus/aboutng/composition.asp
Arthur, J Daniel. (2008). An Overview of Modern Shale Gas Development
in the United States. AllConsulting. http://www.all
llc.com/publicdownloads/ALLShaleOverviewFINAL.pdf

USGS

Natural Gas Production

Arthur, J Daniel. (2008). An Overview of Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States. AllConsulting.
http://www.all llc.com/publicdownloads/ALLShaleOverviewFINAL.pdf

Types of Unconventional Natural

Gas
Tight Gas Sands
Coal Bed Methane
Gas Shales- Most Expansive Growth,
Comprise 50-60% of countries reserves
growth by 2011

Arthur, J Daniel. (2008). An Overview of Modern Shale Gas Development in the United
States. AllConsulting. http://www.all
llc.com/publicdownloads/ALLShaleOverviewFINAL.pdf

Three factors that have created

the unconventional natural gas
industry.
Directional Drilling
Hydraulic Fracturing
High well prices

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

http://www.theoildrum.com/files/perforating3_0.jpg

Marcellus Shale
Deposited over
350 Million years
ago.

USGS

Area and Depth of Marcellus

Shale

USGS

Objectives
Assess whether water release from acid fracturing
is detrimental to surface water and aquifers?
Determine if the amount of water necessary for
acid fracturing can be sustainably extracted from
existing watershed aquifers.
Observe how the process of acid fracturing effects
local ecosystems.
Analyze the national and local socioeconomic
impact of acid fracturing in regard to potential job
creation, US energy profile, social values, and land
use.

Hydraulic Fracturing

Three treatments available

Foam
Gel
Slickwater

Slickwater Treatments
Introduction of rock acid - cleans out well
Slickwater plug- formed with water, sand
and additives. Friction reducing chemicals
to allow faster pumping.
Fracturing- over a million gallons of water,
sand and chemicals.
Flush- recovery of water in pumps to allow
collection of gases.

QuickTime and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturingnational

Acid Fracturing
Each Fracture is unique
Based on local stress conditions.
Typically contains 98% water and sand, and
2% chemicals
Currently 197 products used in slickwater
process, 152 products known
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 2009).

Chemical Additives

(NYS Department of
Environmental Conservation,
2009)

Water Quantity

Water Withdrawals
Variety of sources
Proximity to drill site
Three to four million gallons for typical
horizontal shale gas well
0.5 to six million gallons for hydraulic
fracturing of the Marcellus Shale
Used in relatively short time period

Water Transport
Location and type of sources
Longer route distance = more expensive and less
water efficiency
Reliability of source as constant supply
Rate and timing of withdrawals are key

Effects on Water Resources

Reduction in stream flow
Streams uses and public supplies altered
Adjacent habitats altered

Recreational uses, potable and culinary

uses, fish survival and propagation, disposal
of wastes

Effects Continued
Depletion of aquifers
Cumulative withdrawals
Occurs when volume extracted > recharge
rate
Potentially lead to reduction to
aboveground bodies of water
Translocation of water from watershed

Ecosystem Impacts

Adverse effects on local ecosystems

Natural cycles essential to ecosystems
Alterations in flow regimes affect habitat
Improper techniques and structures for
withdrawing
Water uptake flow velocity
Transporting invasive species

Effects on Wetlands
Susceptibility to draining of water
Quantity withdrawn has direct impacts
depending on natural dynamics of flow
Variety of species significantly affected

Water Quality

Produced Water
Byproduct of the stimulation and drilling
process
Before natural gas can be recovered, water
that is pumped into the shale must be allowed
to flow out as produced water
Can consist of fracturing fluids, heavy
metals, brine waters, dissolved minerals or
organic matter from the shale
(Arthur 2008)

Composition of a Fracture
Fluid

(Arthur

Chemical Additives
No one size fits all percentage that are added
to fracture fluid
Additives in a single hydrofrac job result in
approximately 15,000 gallons of chemical waste
Most are proprietary
All are necessary in order to ensure the success
of the drilling process
Risk to human and environmental health is low

(Soeder 2009), (Arthur 2008), (NYSDEC 20

Threats to Drinking Water

Drilling must pass through shallow drinking
water aquifers
Well casings made of steel and concrete can
become defective or damaged
Potential chemical spills
Road/construction activity
(Cornell University 2010)

Wastewater Treatment Plants

Cannot handle the quantity of water used
Unsure of the chemical composition of the
proprietary chemicals used in the acid
fracturing process
Do not successfully remove salts and other
dissolved solids
(Soeder 2009)

Additional Treatment Methods

Re-inject produced water into the ground at a
shallow depth
Re-inject produced water into the ground at a
depth below the Marcellus Shale
Allow wastewater to evaporate from open pits or
tanks
Dilute produced water and reuse it in future
fracturing operations
New technology

(NYSDEC 2009), (Soeder 2009

Habitat Fragmentation
Inevitable consequence of all mining
practices
Occurs through construction of unpaved
roads, pipelines and infrastructure:
Well pads drilling rigs, storage facilities, heavy
machinery

necessary to mine natural gas and eventually

transport it off site

Roads
Generally includes removing large rocks and vegetation,
and replacing them with crushed gravel or stone
Each well-site must have an access road
According to NY DEC every 150ft of 30ft access road
adds 1/10 acre to the total disturbed surface area
attributed to the well site
Highly used fragments, such as access roads,
significantly increase impact
Edge sensitive species affected most
Increased erosion contributes to habitat and waterquality degradation

Sedimentation and Erosion

Overflow off roads and impervious drilling pads alters
slopes and soils and further surface water quality issues
Plants rooting is disrupted
Aquatic receptors are affected by increased
sedimentation increasing TSS in the water column
Velocity and volume of runoff with reciprocal in
infiltration (impermeable surfaces)
Chemicals and pollutants are present on impermeable surfaces
Pollutants adhere to eroded sediment particles

Ecological Receptor- Trout

Rising Stake-holder concern
Chesapeake Bay Association PA and NY trout association, land
owners, fishermen

Marcellus Shale spans under the Appalachian basin which

provides headwaters for numerous streams valued for trout
habitat
Salinity, acidity, and toxicity in mine runoff are of concern for
trout health and ability to reproduce
Increased impervious surfaces and increase acidity have been
shown to negatively affect Brook Trout populations in the
NorthEast (Conservation Strategy Work Group, 2005)
Mine drainage in has historically in PA and WV has drastically
decreased stream ecological health
USGS records over 3,400 miles of streams and GW contaminated in
PA alone due to mining practices (USEPA, 2001)

Edge-related Stress
Increased edge will affect some species more drastically
than others
Life history traits, population numbers, physical size, physical size
and amount of area needed per individual

Golden-winged and prairie warbler have shown increase

abundance in early succession edge areas
Results NOT shown when fragmentation is maintained by constant
use and traffic

Cerulean warbler Edge sensitive species inhabitaing areas

along Marcellus Shale territory
Largely impacted by habitat fragmentation due to mining

Soil Compaction & Reclamation

Overburden must be removed to gain access to
bedrock
Stockpiling of this material is essential for reclamation
efforts

Where overburden is not removed, continuous use

of heavy machinery compacts soils

Increased bulk density rates

Creates difficult habitat for plant rooting
Lower water infiltration rates
Contributes to surface runoff

Reclamation Techniques
Open pits must be backfilled
Soils must be tested for salinity, acidity and
toxicity in order to prepare restoration plan
Salinity acidity and toxicity will likely all
contribute to Shale gas sites due to:
salts, hydroflouric acid, heavy metal leaching and a
variety of chemicals used in the fracking liquid

Grading and scraping to loosen soils and adding

Lime and fertilizer are recommended
Many mine Reclamation sites fail due to soil toxicity

Recommendations for Water Management

Communicating with local water planning agencies is essential for the operators
of the drills in order to manage water sources.
Using several large sources of water instead of many smaller ones.
Ensuring that the withdrawal of every water source used will not significantly
nor permanently deplete that source.
Choosing water sources in close proximity to mine site.
Ensuring the safe and effective disposal of produced water from the acid
fracturing process.
Continue to research the proper disposal of produced water in order to create
more effective methods of treatment.

Recommendations for Land Use Change

In order to protect trout populations, drilling should not be permitted in
areas deemed sensitive coldwater habitats.
Multiple wells should be placed along the same access road, while
utilizing current roads as much as possible.
Areas of sensitivity such as steep slopes, wetlands, and streams should
be avoided.

Proper erosion controls must be implemented.

Topsoil must be maintained for proper reclamation. Catch ponds

and/or artificial wetlands must be provided to store, filter and monitor
surface runoff from mine sites.

Works Cited

Arthur, J Daniel. (2008). An Overview of Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States. All
Consulting. http://www.allllc.com/publicdownloads/ALLShaleOverviewFINAL.pd
Soeder, Daniel and William Kappel. (2009). Water Resources and Natural Gas Production from the
Marcellus Shale. USGS. https://webmail.uvm.edu/horde/imp/view.php
popup_view=1&index=11782&mailbox=INBOX&actionID=view_attach&id=2&mimecache=e66
86c56f385749fe79522412f9e4d3e
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2009). Supplemental Generic
Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12365971/OGdSGEISFull
Cornell University. Water Quality Information for Consumers.
http://waterquality.cce.cornell.edu/naturalgasdrilling.htm

USEPA (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2001. What is the State of the
Environment in the Mid-Atlantic Region? Technical report EPA/903F/F-01/003.
Region 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Conservation Strategy Work Group. (2005) Conserving the Eastern Brook Trout:
status, threat and trends. http://www.mmbtu.org/Conserving_Eastern_Brook_Trout.pdf