How much gas is available in the Marcellus Shale region?

Thursday, 25 August 2011 17:46

How much gas is available in the Marcellus Shale region?

Written by Megan Lello, witf Reporter and Producer

Radio Smart Talk for Friday, August 26:

The debate over drilling in the Marcellus Shale region of the state is garnering increasing attention both locally and internationally. The U.S. Geological Survey has recently released a report stating the amount of natural gas that can be recovered from the area measures 84 trillion cubic feet. But this figure is a sharp decrease from the 400 trillion cubic feet a U.S. Energy Information Administration report identified last month.

On Friday's Radio Smart Talk, former state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources secretary John Quigley and StateImpact Pennsylvania reporters Scott Detrow and Susan Phillips join us to discuss the disparity as well as the latest news out of the Marcellus Shale region. StateImpact is a collaborative project between witf, WHYY in Philadelphia, and NPR. In Pennsylvania, the StateImpact focus is on energy.

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# Michael 2011-08-26 10:04

I feel we are witnessing the beginning third great "rape" of Pennsylvania's environment! The first being the massive leveling of the States forests for timber in late 19th century and the second being the the "coal rush" during the same period. When Mr Quigley was DCNR Secretary and the present DCNR Secretary had politicians as their boss, we all know about the massive amount of money and benefits made available to high level State politicians. The Governor and the Senate President are two of the biggest recipients of of oil/gas company benefits. Do you think that may just play a part in how the DCNR responds to Marcellus drilling conserns?

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# Bonnie 2011-08-26 10:08

why do they have to drill in forest and parks at all ? Do they not have enough land to get otherwise ? Sounds like greed to me ? the companies have so much money now it is coming to politics and greed again and again !

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# Steve 2011-08-26 10:12

Will the natural gas derived from PA drilling in any way be offered to PA residents at lower prices?

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# Janet 2011-08-26 11:24

Let me share a recent trip to a PA State Park. Met with friends for a picnic & hike at S.B.Eliot State Park in Moshannon State Forest about 2 wks. ago. There were "No Parking" signs everywhere. We were informed that there was a picnic on the natural gas wellpad back the one road. We thought we'd take a look at a gas well sight, something we'd heard so much about it. One of the locals reminisced that the gravel road conveying many trucks used to be a hiking path. We were told we could not drive back to the wellpad, yet the picnickers were allowed to. We were told if we wanted to go back the road we were to hike 30ft. parallel to the road & stay off the road surface. Mind you, this is a "public" State Forest! We went back to our picnic table. My friend headed to the water fountain to get a drink of fresh, pristine water when someone yelled, "Hey, don't drink that water!" Not with drilling going right over the hill, the water fountain could contain contaminated water.

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