UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND SHALE GAS: GROWTH, EXTRACTION, AND WATER MANAGEMENT ISSUES; UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND SHALE GAS: GROWTH, EXTRACTION, AND WATER MANAGEMENT ISSUES; Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data; CONTENTS; PREFACE; Chapter 1: AN OVERVIEW OF UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND NATURAL GAS: RESOURCES AND FEDERAL ACTIONS; SUMMARY; INTRODUCTION: CHANGE IS AFOOT; GEOLOGY IS WHAT MAKES A RESOURCE UNCONVENTIONAL; PRICE DRIVES INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION; TECHNOLOGIES STIMULATE SHALE GASPRODUCTION FIRST; INCREASED TIGHT OIL PRODUCTION RAISES INDEPENDENCE POSSIBILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND RESPONSESLEGISLATION IN THE 113TH CONGRESS; CONCLUSION: ABOVE- AND BELOW-GROUND ISSUES A CONCERN; APPENDIX. SELECTED FEDERAL INITIATIVES RELATED TO UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION; Chapter 2: SHALE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: CURRENT AND EMERGING WATER PRACTICES; SUMMARY; INTRODUCTION; PRIMER ON SHALE ENERGY RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT; WATER INPUTS INTO SHALE DEVELOPMENT; WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT: FLOWBACK AND PRODUCED WATER (PRODUCED FLUIDS); RELATED ISSUES: INDUCED SEISMICITY AND ABANDONED WELLS; EMERGING WATER TECHNOLOGIES FOR SHALE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE CONSIDERATIONSChapter 3: HYDRAULIC FRACTURING AND SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT REGULATORY ISSUES; SUMMARY; INTRODUCTION; THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT (SDWA) AND THE FEDERAL ROLE IN REGULATION OF UNDERGROUND INJECTION; THE DEBATE OVER REGULATION OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING UNDER THE SDWA; EPACT 2005: A LEGISLATIVE EXEMPTION FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING; EPA HYDRAULIC FRACTURING STUDY; CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS; INDEX
Summary
The United States has seen resurgence in petroleum production, mainly driven by technology improvements-especially hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling-developed for natural gas production from shale formations. Application of these technologies enabled natural gas to be economically produced from shale and other unconventional formations, and contributed to the United States becoming the world's largest natural gas producer in 2009. This book focuses on the growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production driven primarily by tight oil formations and shale gas formations. It reviews sele
