Seismic Monitoring of Hydraulic Fracturing Activity at the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) Site, West Virginia

Abstract Advancement in drilling technology has increased natural gas extraction activities from the Marcellus shale deposit resulting in a shale gas boom in many regions, including West Virginia. This boom has created a significant labor demand shock to local economies experiencing the boom. A number of studies have shown that a shale gas boom directly increases employment and the income of those working in the industry. However, the boom can also have an adverse impact on other sectors through the resource movement effect and intersector labor mobility, pulling workers away from a related sector like forestry. Thus, an econometric model of employment in the forestry sector was developed to investigate the impact of the Marcellus shale gas boom in West Virginia. There is evidence of a labor movement effect with forestry employment negatively affected by the Marcellus shale boom. Specifically, the overall marginal effect of the shale boom on forestry employment is approximately 435 fewer jobs. However, the extent of the decline is slightly moderated by a higher relative wage between gas and forestry, perhaps suggesting diminishing returns and overall slack in the local labor market. Study Implications Although a Marcellus shale gas boom directly increases employment and the income of those working in that industry, it can have an adverse impact on other sectors by pulling workers away from a related sector like forestry. This study showed that employment in the West Virginia forestry sector was negatively affected by the shale gas boom. An important policy issue is how to manage the cyclical nature of shale gas booms and the negative impacts on other industries with long-term growth potential, like the forestry sector. This sector does not suffer through boom-and-bust cycles, making it important for long-term economic stability.

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Passive Seismic Monitoring to Optimize Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments: Lessons Learned from our American Cousins

EAGE Shale Workshop 2010 ◽

10.3997/2214-4609.20145409 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

J. Le Calvez ◽

S. Maxwell ◽

A. Martinez

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Fracturing ◽

Seismic Monitoring ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Passive Seismic

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Influence of Reactive Flow Conditions on Barite Scaling in Marcellus Shale during Stimulation and Shut-In Periods of Hydraulic Fracturing

Energy & Fuels ◽

10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c02156 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (11) ◽

pp. 13625-13635

Author(s):

Wei Xiong ◽

Magdalena Gill ◽

Johnathan Moore ◽

Dustin Crandall ◽

J. Alexandra Hakala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Fracturing ◽

Marcellus Shale ◽

Reactive Flow ◽

Flow Conditions

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Household Water Security: An Analysis of Water Affect in the Context of Hydraulic Fracturing in West Virginia, Appalachia

Water ◽

10.3390/w12010147 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 147 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bethani Turley ◽

Martina Angela Caretta

Keyword(s):

West Virginia ◽

Hydraulic Fracturing ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Water Security ◽

The United States ◽

Well Water ◽

Gas Extraction ◽

Testing Procedures ◽

Water Testing ◽

Oil And Gas Companies

Hydraulic fracturing has been booming in the last decade in the United States. While natural gas extraction and production has improved the national energy security, it has raised questions around the water security of those communities where extraction is taking place. Both scientists and residents are concerned about hydraulic fracturing’s impacts on surface- and groundwater, especially regarding how hydraulic fracturing impacts residents’ access to safe household well water. In the past decade, the Marcellus Shale has been developed in Northwestern West Virginia, yet the human geography dimensions of oil and gas extraction in West Virginia remain to be investigated. This article, based on 30 in-depth interviews, explores household groundwater insecurity due to hydraulic fracturing experienced by residents (i.e., mineral owners, surface owners, and concerned citizens) in Northwestern West Virginia. The concept of water affect is used to attend to the emotional and subjective dimensions of water security by unveiling the power, emotional struggles, and mental stress inherent in water testing practices and environmental regulation around hydraulic fracturing. Water testing is typically conducted by contractors hired by oil and gas companies, but it is mired in delayed test results and incorrect testing procedures, triggering residents’ negative feelings toward oil and gas companies. This article furthers the understanding of water security, commonly defined in terms of individual access to adequate water quality and quantity, by studying Appalachian residents’ anxieties about well water contamination and uncertainty around the long-term water impacts of hydraulic fracturing. By investigating the uneven power relations around groundwater in West Virginia, the emotional experiences and responses are articulated to further the notion of water affect as impacting household groundwater security.

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