Useful Links

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Marcellus Shale Information Page
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Marcellus Shale Information Page
• PA Marcellus Shale Committee Marcellus Shale Information Page
• Delaware River Basin Commission Marcellus Shale Information Page
• Susquehanna River Basin Commission Marcellus Shale Project Review Page
• IOGA-NY Marcellus Shale BLOG

Marcellus Shale Resource Page

The Devonian Marcellus Formation (or Marcellus Shale) lies 300 to 6,000 feet below the Allegheny Plateau Region of North America and covers 54,000 square miles, running through Ohio, West Virginia, across Pennsylvania and into New York’s Southern Tier. The shale itself is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that is formed when quartz and clay minerals or mud are compacted by pressure over an extended period of time. Although geologists have known about the gas in the Marcellus Shale for many years, until now, the shale had been virtually impossible to permeate. Thanks to recent improvements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, recovering natural gas in the Marcellus Shale has become a realistic prospect.

It is now estimated that upwards of 363 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be recovered from the Marcellus Shale region over the next few decades. However, because most of the gas is trapped in the pore spaces of the shale, efficient recovery of the gas requires the use of horizontal drilling techniques and “hydrofracing”– the use of large quantities of high-pressure water to induce additional fractures in the rock surrounding the well bore. Concern over the environmental impact of these techniques and the large volumes of water required by hydrofracing has resulted in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) requiring a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (“SGEIS”) before issuing permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale formation in New York, as well as regulatory oversight by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Delaware River Basin Commission, and a multitude of legislative initiatives in both the New York State Senate and Assembly.

The West Firm has been at the forefront of the Marcellus Shale development in New York since the beginning, ensuring that our clients are well-prepared to take part in the development of this important resource. Services we are providing include:

• Meeting with legislators and other government officials and the state and local level to explain the environmental and economic impacts of the Marcellus Shale play in New York;
• Participating in the legislative process in 2008 which modified statewide spacing requirements to account for the anticipated development of Marcellus Shale;
• Representing clients before the NYSDEC, Susquehanna River Basin Commission and Delaware River Basin Commission; and
• Assisting oil and gas clients with leasing issues associated with Marcellus Shale.

Supplemental GEIS Development
	Draft Supplemental GEIS September 30, 2009
	Final Scope of Oil & Gas GEIS Update (Feb. 6, 2009)
	Letter from DEC to POTW Operators regarding spent drilling fluids and hydrofracing fluids (Dec. 8, 2008)
	Draft Scope of Oil & Gas GEIS Update  (Oct. 6, 2008)
	DEC Announces Public Process to Review Potential Imapcts of Drilling in Marcellus Shale Formation  (July 25, 2008)
	National Resources Defense Council v. EPA - U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit  (May 27, 2008)
	Letter from DEC to New York City Department of Environmental Protection regarding watershed issues  (Apr. 18, 2007)
	SRBC Notice of Determination for Natural Gas Well Development Projects (Aug. 14, 2008)
	Letter to DEC from New York City Department of Environmental Protection regarding statewide spacing and the watershed (July 18, 2008)
	SRBC Policy 2003-1 "Guidelines for Using and Determining Pass-By Flows and Conservation Releases for Surface Water and Ground Water Withdrawal Approvals." (Nov. 8, 2002)
	Findings Statement for 1992 GEIS
	1992 Generic Environmental Impact Statement
Economics
	Prospects and Economic Impacts of Developing the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play (July 24, 2009, Penn State Univ.)
	State Asset Maximization Commission Final Report (Excerpt on Marcellus Shale and Energy) June 1, 2009
	Haynesville Shale Economic Report
	State Asset Maximization Commission Preliminary Report (Excerpt on Marcellus Shale and Energy) Dec. 15, 2008
	2008 Perryman Economic Impact Report for Barnett Shale Summary (March 2008)
	2008 Perryman Economic Impact Report for Barnett Shale (March 2008)
Regulatory
	SRBC Conditions Imposed on Gas Well Permits
	SRBC Notice of Determination for Natural Gas Well Development Projects (Aug. 14, 2008)
	Letter to DEC from New York City Department of Environmental Protection regarding statewide spacing and the watershed (July 18, 2008)
	Gas Well Activity and Permitting Requirements in the Susquehanna River Basin (Susquehanna River Basin Commission, July 15, 2008)
	Delaware River Basin Commission press release (June 9, 2008)
	PA DEP Orders Partial Shutdown of Natural Gas Drilling Operations (May 30, 2008)
	Cease and Desist Orders issued in Pennsylvania by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (May 30, 2008)
	Susquehanna River Basin Commission ("SRBC") letter to operators
	SRBC new "approval by rule" application
Legislative
	Resolution of Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission Urging Congress Not to Remove Exemption of Hydraulic Fracturing from Provisions of Safe Drinking Water Act
	Testimony of DEC Commissioner Grannis at the NYS Assembly Hearing on Natural Gas and Oil Drilling (Oct. 15, 2008)
	Testimony of DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis at the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection Hearing: Natural Gas Drilling in the New York City Drinking Water Watershed (Sept. 10, 2008)
	DEC Commissioner Grannis Responds to City Council Questions on Marcellus Drilling (Sept. 9, 2008)
	Governor's Office Press Release for Statewide Spacing (July 23, 2008)
	Governor's Approval Message for Statewide Spacing (July 23, 2008)
	Statewide Spacing Bill as Signed into Law
	Senate Debate on Statewide Spacing Bill (June 2008)
	Senate Version of Statewide Spacing Bill and Sponsor's Memorandum (May 7, 2008)
Other
	Petition for Party Status and Issues Statement filed by the Sierra Club for the East Resources Whitesville Field (July 8, 2008)
	PA DEP Provides Update on Investigation of Natural Gas Activities in Dimock Township
General
	IOGA-NY Booklet: "The Facts About Natural Gas Exploration of the Marcellus Shale"
	Hydraulic Fracturing Considerations for Natural Gas Wells of the Marcellus Shale -- Presented at The Ground Water Protection Council Annual Forum (Sept. 21-24, 2008)
	Senator Hillary Clinton Urges Safe Drilling in Macellus Formations (August 15, 2008)
	Editorial by DEC Commissioner Grannis: "Balancing Natural Resources" (Aug. 12, 2008)
	DEC Commissioner Grannis Responds to Editorial on Marcellus Shale Drilling (July 31, 2008)
	Marcellus Shale Power Point (NYSDEC July 15, 2008)
	DEC Presentation - Marcellus Shale Exploration: Energy Development and the Environment (July 15, 2008)
	Shale Gas (Oil and Gas Accountability Project, May 2008)

You will need Adobe® Reader® to open the subscriber application.