Development of Unconventional Hydrocarbon
Resources in the Appalachian Basin:
Workshop Summary
Anne Linn, Rapporteur
Committee on the Development of Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources in the Appalachian Basin
Committee on Earth Resources
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Water Science and Technology Board
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by West Virginia University Research Corporation. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization that provided support for the project. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the sponsor.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-29881-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-29881-4
Cover: Geologic map of West Virginia (background). SOURCE: Map 25A, West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. Superimposed are photographs of the following: rectangular joints in the Utica Shale near Fort Plain, New York, copyright by Michael C. Rygel (left); Marcellus Shale outcrop in Highland County, Virginia, photo by James Coleman (center); Marcellus Shale just south of Marcellus, New York (right). SOURCES: Wikipedia Commons (left and right) and the U.S. Geological Society (center).
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COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNCONVENTIONAL HYDROCARBON RESOURCES IN THE APPALACHIAN BASIN
GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
KATE HADLEY BAKER, BP (retired), Houston, Texas
SUSAN L. BRANTLEY, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
MICHAEL E. HOHN, State of West Virginia, Morgantown
CARL KIRBY, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
National Research Council Staff
ANNE M. LINN, Study Director, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
LAURA HELSABECK, Senior Program Officer, Water Science and Technology Board (until June 7, 2013)
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
COMMITTEE ON EARTH RESOURCES
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS, Chair, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (retired), Sandpoint
JAMES A. BRIERLEY, Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
MICHAEL J. CARROLL, Hunt Oil, Dallas, Texas
THURE CERLING, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
ELAINE T. CULLEN, NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory (retired), Chattaroy, Washington
DONALD JUCKETT, American Association for Petroleum Geologists (retired), Springfield, Virginia
DOROTHY J. MERRITTS, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
MARY M. POULTON, University of Arizona, Tucson
ARTHUR W. RAY, City of Rockville, Maryland
RICHARD J. SWEIGARD, University of Kentucky, Lexington
ELIZABETH J. WILSON, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
CORALE BRIERLEY, Chair, Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Denver, Colorado
KEITH C. CLARKE, University of California, Santa Barbara
DAVID J. COWEN, University of South Carolina, Columbia
WILLIAM E. DIETRICH, University of California, Berkeley
ROGER M. DOWNS, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
JEFF DOZIER, University of California, Santa Barbara
KATHERINE H. FREEMAN, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
WILLIAM L. GRAF, University of South Carolina, Calcott
RUSSELL J. HEMLEY, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C.
MURRAY W. HITZMAN, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR., Arizona State University, Tempe
LOUISE H. KELLOGG, University of California, Davis
ROBERT McMASTER, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
CLAUDIA INÉS MORA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
BRIJ M. MOUDGIL, University of Florida, Gainesville
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (retired), Sandpoint
JOAQUIN RUIZ, University of Arizona, Tucson
PETER M. SHEARER, University of California, San Diego
REGINAL SPILLER, Allied Energy, Houston, Texas
RUSSELL STANDS-OVER-BULL, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Billings, Montana
TERRY C. WALLACE, JR., Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
HERMAN B. ZIMMERMAN, National Science Foundation (retired), Portland, Oregon
National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director
ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Program Officer
MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD
GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
EDWARD J. BOUWER, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
YU-PING CHIN, Ohio State University, Columbus M. SIOBHAN FENNESSY, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio
BEN GRUMBLES, U.S. Water Alliance, Washington, District of Columbia
GEORGE R. HALLBERG, The Cadmus Group, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts
CATHERINE L. KLING, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
DEBRA S. KNOPMAN, RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia
LARRY LARSON, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Madison, Wisconsin
RITA P. MAGUIRE, Maguire & Pearce
PLLC, Phoenix, Arizona
DAVID L. MAURSTAD, OST, Inc., McLean, Virginia
ROBERT SIMONDS, The Robert Simonds Company, Culver City, California
FRANK H. STILLINGER, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
MARYLYNN V. YATES, University of California, Riverside
JAMES W. ZIGLAR, SR., Van Ness Feldman, Potomac, Maryland
National Research Council Staff
JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Director
LAURA J. EHLERS, Senior Staff Officer
STEPHANIE E. JOHNSON, Senior Staff Officer
M. JEANNE AQUILINO, Financial/Administrative Associate
ANITA A. HALL, Senior Program Associate
MICHAEL J. STOEVER, Research Associate
Acknowledgments
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purposes of this review are to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following for their participation in the review of this summary:
James Coleman, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
Sally Entrekin, University of Central Arkansas, Conway
George Hornberger, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse, nor did they see the final draft, of the workshop summary before its release. The review of this summary was overseen by David Dzombak, Carnegie Mellon University. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this summary rests entirely with the author and the National Research Council.
The planning committee would like to thank West Virginia University—particularly James P. Clements, Jay Cole, and Lisa Martin—for sponsoring this activity, hosting the workshop, and providing superb logistical support. Thanks also go to Ray Boswell, Rosemary Capo, Joseph Frantz, Jr., Cliff Frohlich, Jose Fuentes, Paulina Jaramillo, Kelly Maloney, Michael Powelson, John Veil, and Hannah Wiseman, whose excellent plenary presentations provided a strong foundation for discussion. The committee also extends its thanks to the participants who took on multiple roles in the working groups, giving flash talks to start discussion or serving as rapporteurs: Brian Anderson, Richard Bajura, Daniel Billman, Margaret Brittingham, Robert Burruss, Tim Carr, Martin Chapman,
Nigel Clark, Jeffrey Daniels, Patrick Drohan, Mark Engle, Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Gregory Frost, Paulina Jaramillo, Donald Juckett, William Kappel, Zuleima Karpyn, Abby Kinchy, Peter MacKenzie, Kris Nygaard, Gary Slagel, James Van Nostrand, Radisav Vidic, Richard Wilkin, Hannah Wiseman, Gregory Wrightstone, and Paul Ziemkiewicz. Finally, the committee extends its thanks to the honorable John D. Rockefeller IV, U.S. Senator for West Virginia, who made remarks in the form of a letter read at the workshop (Appendix A).
