For More Information…

Even though the semester is over, and you still want to stay updated on Marcellus Shale. Here is another blog  http://shale.typepad.com/marcellusshale/ you can follow that is constantly putting up new information about what’s going on with Marcellus Shale. The blog breaks down the number of drilling sites from certain companies, and the drilling progress of other companies like Range Resources. It doesn’t just talk about  drilling companies so for more information check it out!

Marcellus Shale Nationwide

Marcellus Shale is not just located in Western, Pa. Here is a link that shows its different locations around the U.S. http://oilshalegas.com/shalefields.html . This link shows,  Marcellus Shale is a problem in other cities and states besides Western, Pa. So if you’re not from Pa. and want to know where else Marcellus Shale is check out the index, especially if your from Texas who has the most shale sites.

Are you Against Marcellus Shale?

If your’e against Marcellus Shale, and want to get involved, here is a link of upcoming events http://www.marcellusprotest.org/event_calendar/2010-12 . In this link you get will tons of events and some that you are interested in. There are movies like GASLAND tomorrow, as well as a Marcellus rally in January that you can attend. If you found an event that you think people will be interested in you can add the event to the website’s calendar.

Are you a Marcellus Shale expert?

Do you think you know more about Marcellus Shale than us? Want to inform people? Add what you know to the Wikipedia page we helped create at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcellus_shale .  Marcellus Shale is an issue for the future and updated  info about this topic will constantly be needed for people to have informed opinions. So help out the general public and write down what you know.

A Visual on Shale

We can talk all we want about Marcellus Shale, but a picture says a thousand words. I was checking out the internet and found a cool website with some pictures of drill sites, http://www.marcellus-shale.us/ . You can think whatever you want about Marcellus Shale, but would want this in your backyard? Check it out!

The Other Side of the Story

Throughout this blog we’ve touched on the negative effects of Marcellus Shale on the environment. But, since this is supposed to be an unbiased blog, check out this website: http://marcelluscoalition.org/ . This website is about the Marcellus Shale Coalition which supports gas drilling as the energy to fuel our future. The Marcellus Shale Coalition, talks about the postive impact of natural gas drilling on our environment and the families and companies they do business with. So, for a different spin on Marcellus Shale drilling check it out!

Interview with Dr. Bain

Hi there everyone,

Here is a gchat interview I had with Dr. Dan Bain. He’s a geology professor here at the University of Pittsburgh who spoke at a conference on Shale Drilling put on by the University of Pittsburgh’s school of Public Health. Here you are. Enjoy.

Dan: ‬ Hi Maegan

me: Hi Dr. Bain. Thanks for chatting with me today. Before we start, I just wanted to let you know that at least part of this conversation will appear on our blog; so I just wanted to give you a heads up on that and to make sure that’s ok with you.

Dan: I understand that this chat may be included on your blog and am fine with that

me: ok great. So I actually saw that this past Friday was the conference on Shale drilling run by the school of public health. I heard that you were one of the speakers and I was wondering if you could maybe just give a brief summary of what you spoke on?

Dan: Sure, my presentation was mostly on my best guesses of unintended consequences of shale gas extraction.  Particularly in SW PA, we have littered the landscape with contamination from coal extraction and steel production.  Much of this contamination is said to be “naturally attenuated.”  That is, it has been sequestered by natural processes.  However, the salinity that is produced by shale gas extraction is not something our systems are accustomed to.  In laboratory systems such a change in water chemistry can mobilize materials from the sediment.

The question is, how does it behave in environmental systems?  And that is hard to say.  But I do think we have to consider it as we continue gas extraction.

me: I see. So you’re basically saying that because the environmental impacts of shale drilling are unknown, it is something we must be cautious about?

Dan: As with any human action.

But this system is particularly worrisome in that the rate of activity is increasing at an accelerating rate.

History shows that this characteristic, common in resource extraction economies, often leads to environmental messes without responsible parties to “clean up”

Aka a “boom and bust” cycle

me: I think it’s very interesting to know that you’ve looked into how resource abstraction has occurred throughout history. Could you give us an example of an instance when this “boom and bust” has happened in the past?

(Dr. Bain later e-mailed me this link in answer to the prior question.Here’s an interesting story from Wyoming.)

http://www.hcn.org/issues/214/10846

me: Do you think there are any safer methods of unconventional gas drilling?

Dan: I do not know of any

me: Another question I thought I would ask is more directed to the general public. There may be people who follow our blog that have been approached by gas companies for leases on their land but are wondering what to do. What kind of advice would you give someone in that situation?‬

Dan: ‬ Test your water several times before signing anything.  Ask your neighbors what the conditions of their lease are and ask for more to get at least as much.  In fact, check the lease conditions on PA state land and ask for better conditions than those.  Be informed and don’t be afraid to walk away.  If you have gas, they will come back..

me: interesting…I think that will be very helpful for people to hear. Thanks for your input, Dr. Bain. I believe we’ve reached the end of our interview so I won’t take up any more of your time. I really appreciate your contribution to our blog and I think people will be very interested in reading what you had to say during our g-chat. Thanks again and have a great Thanksgiving break!

Dan: Thanks for your patience.  I hope your Thanksgiving is fun too.

If you have any follow up, feel free to please send me an email.

me: Oh great thanks again and I appreciate your willingness and availability Take care and have a good night.

Dan: good night.

 

 

Pittsburgh Votes To Ban Marcellus Shale Drilling In City Limits

 ”We can not let this industry run unabated throughout our cities, towns and natural environment,” City Councilman Doug Shields said.

Shields’ bill goes against court decisions that say that the state has power over drilling. The council believes that its cause is worth taking that fight further.

“We need to form an establishment, as Councilman Shields said, that will guard us here in Pittsburgh and the area as a whole,” City Councilman Patrick Dowd said.

City Council President Darlene Harris said that the council has concerns about the effects of drilling and industry chemicals on the health of inhabitants.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition told WTAE Channel 4 Action News that the bill has uncertain legal right and that it discounts the positive economic effect of shale gas growth on the region and its work force. The coalition also said that Shields wants to deny private property owners of their “fundamental rights.”

The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Projects Director Ben Price said that his group will help with the council’s fight, Channel 4 Action News reported.

“To not stand up for your rights is to give them away. To surrender them without a fight doesn’t make much sense,” Price said.

Read More and watch the YouTube Video featuring this article:

 http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/25688678/detail.html

Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution opposing Marcellus Shale gas drilling at Powdermill Nature Reserve.

Powdermill Nature Reserve.

The nonbinding resolution, called a “will of council,” enforces  the trustees of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History not to permit drilling or removal on the 2,200-acre site in Westmoreland County. Powdermill is the museum’s biological research location.

 Sam Taylor, museum executive, has said that the institution wishes to know whether it can gain the financial profits of gas extraction “and still preserve the environment” at Powdermill. The Carnegie isn’t allowing for drilling, only gas removal.

 It can allow extraction without permitting drilling on the property because of the technology of horizontal drilling. This drilling would let a company drill a well off of the Powdermill property and extend the line horizontally underneath the site to extract its gas.

 The “will of council” says Carnegie representatives may lease Powdermill land “for shale gas exploitation” because of a possible royalty bonus. The resolution urges the trustees to “discard any and all offers” from gas companies.

 The resolution was introduced by Councilman Doug Shields, the sponsor of council’s recently passed law prohibition gas extraction citywide.

To visit the Carnegie Magazine Online, please visit:http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1998/janfeb/feat2.htm

Tioga County Land Lease Interview

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Above: Map showing gas exploration in Tioga County, PA

Recently classmate and fellow blogger John was nice enough to pass along a few questions about land leases to his parents to answer. As mentioned earlier, John’s parents were contacted by landmen about their property out in Tioga and county. After comparing their choices and some deliberation John’s parents have decided to sign a lease. They give some tips and suggestions. Feel free to share your stories too.

Q : What knowledge of the Marcellus Shale drilling controversy did you have prior to being contacted by the drilling companies?

A : As far as our knowledge about natural gas be extracted we weren’t well educated once we were contacted by the drilling companies. We did know the general value of the natural gas being extracted and we partially knew the method in which they were extracting the oil.

Q : What sort of research did you do upon being contacted by the drilling companies, if any? What led you to choose the drilling company that you did?

A : After being contacted by the drilling companies I (my father) took the time to go online and educate myself about the current worth of the oil as far as the exact numbers were concerned. Seein that we don’t own a large amount of land, I knew going into it that we wouldn’t receive a large sum of money, but since the land we own is still bare, it would be enough that we could at least say we were making money. I took a look at a web site run by Penn State University which led to a link where you could enter in the size plot of land that you have and the expected amount of money you could potentially see from that land. That’s as much research as I did after receiving the letters.

When it came time to making a decision I took time to look more into the companies that we were dealing with and seeing overall quality of business they were looking to run. In the end it was the company that was offering more that we signed the lease with. On top of that they seemed like the more legitimate company aside from the others that we received letters from.

Q : Aside from what is in your contract, what expectations do you have of the drilling company that you signed a lease with?

A : The things that I expect out of the company is that when they’re finished with the land that it is still marketable in a way that if I chose to build something on it that it could still be done. Another thing that I expect out of the company is that I receive a check from them for the monthly lease and the percentage of the extracted oil they take from the land. Other than that I really don’t expect anything else out of them.

Q : What advice do you have for other land owners being offered the opportunity to sign a lease with a drilling company?

A : Just be sure to do research on the worth of the natural gas they’re extracting and the average cost per acre that others are receiving in the lease. Also make sure you’re receiving as fair of a profit from the extracted oil as you can. On top of that make sure you look into the legitimacy of the drilling companies that are interested in doing business with you. In the end it’s your land and you have the final say in who you want to sign the lease with.