Breaking the Rock: Earthquakes and Shale Production

Earthquakes have returned to Fort Worth, the hub of the Barnett Shale.  Before, the Eagle Ford, before New York, before the Marcellus and before the Bakken, there was the Barnett.  Mitchell bore the sweat of failure and met it by refusing to quit.  He cracked the code and broke the […]

LAWYERS, WATER AND MONEY

Threats to Regulation of Groundwater arising from EAA v. Bragg   Dowload – Lawyers, Water & Money

A Review of Shale Gas Regulations by State

Experts in RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy analyzed 25 regulatory elements related to shale gas development in 31 states that have actual or potential development activity, offering the most comprehensive review of state shale gas regulations to date. This analysis is presented in a new RFF report, The […]

Peak Water in the American West

by Peter Gleick on August 19, 2013 It is no surprise, of course, that the western United States is dry. The entire history of the West can be told (and has been, in great books like Cadillac Desert [Reisner] and Rivers of Empire [Worster] and The Great Thirst [Hundley]) in […]

Hydraulic Fracturing & Water Stress: Growing Competitive Pressures for Water

This Ceres research paper analyzes water use in hydraulic fracturing operations across the United States and the extent to which this activity is taking place in water stressed regions. It provides an overview of efforts underway, such as the use of recycled water and nonfreshwater resources, to mitigate these impacts […]

The State of State Shale Gas Regulation Executive Summary

Advances in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and other technologies are driving a boom in natural gas production in the United States, but developing this resource carries risks. Historically, states have been the primary regulators of oil and gas development. As the shale gas boom has taken off, states have updated their […]

The Theory, Promise and Reality of Roping the Shale Wind

Oil and Gas Regulation, Enforcement and Litigation, a Devil’s Advocate Perspective – October 26, 2011 I. Scope of the Issues Facing Texas. II. The Infrastructure of Shale Gas Production. III. Aspects of Production that Warrant Additional Focus. IV. State of Enforcement and Regulation. Download this paper.