Full Title: Drilling into Hydraulic Fracturing and Shale Gas Development: A Texas and Federal Environmental Perspective
Author(s): Michael Goldman
Publisher(s): Guida, Slavich & Flores, P.C.
Publication Date: March 1, 2012
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Recently, a respected energy economist stated that energy self-sufficiency is now in sight and that within a decade, the U.S. will no longer need to import crude oil and will be a natural gas exporter.1 According to one oil and gas executive, by 2020, the U.S. overall will be the largest hydrocarbon producer in the world; bigger than Russia or Saudi Arabia.2 Small energy companies using hydraulic fracturing, along with horizontal drilling, are unlocking vast oil and natural gas deposits trapped in shale all over the United States. Over the past few years, several key technical, economic, and energy policy developments have spurred increased use of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction over a wider diversity of geographic regions and geologic formations. However, with the expansion of hydraulic fracturing, there have been increasing concerns voiced by the public about potential impacts on drinking water resources, public health, and the environment.