Library/Resources

On this page I will attempt to link to as many shale gas-related documents as I can find (please let me know if any of the links are broken). I've attempted to split them into a range of categories.

General Reports on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing:

• A review of hydraulic fracturing: A report by the Royal Society.
• The Geological Society and The Petroleum Explration Society Of GB: Submission To Roy Soc Inquiry Into Shale Gas: The Geological Society contribution to the Roy Soc report. 
• Support to the identification of potential risks for the environment and human health arising from hydrocarbons operations involving hydraulic fracturing in Europe: Report by AEA commissioned by the European Commission.
• Hydraulic fracturing in the State of Michigan: Reports by Michigan University on potential impacts in the state. 
• Engineering Energy: Unconventional gas production: Australian study by ACOLA (Australian Council of Learned Academies). 
• Review of the potential public health impacts of exposures to chemical and radioactive pollutants as a result of shale gas extraction: A report by Public Health England
• Statement on shale exploration and development: Speech by Ed Davey.
• Hydraulic Fracturing 101: What Every Representative, Environmentalist,Regulator, Reporter, Investor, University Researcher, Neighbor andEngineer Should Know About Estimating Frac Risk and Improving FracPerformance in Unconventional Gas and Oil Wells. SPE 152596 by G. King.
• Commission Recommendation on minimum principles for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons (such as shale gas) using high-volume hydraulic fracturing: Recommendation by the EU Commission.
• Fracking UK Shale: Safety from design to decommissioning: Guide by DECC into UK regulations pertaining to shale gas. 
• Shale-gas monitoring report: Report by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
• Risk management of shale gas developments and operations: Best practice guide by DNV.
• The Lebien Report: Environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing treatment performed on the Lebien LE-2H well by the Polish Geological Institute.

Reports on potential economic impacts of shale development:

• Getting shale gas working: The Institute of Directors 2013 report on UK shale gas.
• Britain's shale gas potential: The Institute of Directors 2012 report on UK shale gas.
• Impact of shale gas on energy markets: Report by the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee. 
• Unconventional gas: The potential impact on UK gas prices: Report by Navigant Consulting.
• European Gas: A first look at EU shale gas prospects: Report by Deutsche Bank.
• Macroeconomic effects of European shale gas production: Report by Poyry and Cambridge Econometrics.

Data and information about UK geology and the onshore industry:

• Bowland shale gas study: BGS resource estimate for the Bowland shale.
• Weald Basin shale oil study: BGS resource estimate for the Weald Basin.
• UK onshore wells: Data from the DECC website on existing oil and gas wells.
• Oil and gas field data: Data from the DECC website on historic onshore production.

Reports on the impacts of shale gas development on climate change targets:

• Potential greenhouse gas emissions associated with shale gas extraction and use: Report commissioned by DECC.
• The myths and realities of shale gas exploration: Speech by Ed Davey (09/2013) introducing the above report.
• Shale & renewables: a symbiotic relationship: Report by Citigroup.
• Leveraging natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Report by the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.
• Climate impact of potential shale gas production in the EU: Report by AEA commissioned by the European Commission.
• Shale gas: an updated assessment of environmental and climate change impacts: Report by the Tyndall Center.
• Is shale gas good for climate change? Paper by Dan Schrag.
• Has US shale gas reduced CO2 emissions? Report by the Tyndall Center.

Reports on hydraulic fracturing and induced seismicity, both Preese Hall specific and more general:

• Preese Hall shale gas fracturing review and recommendations for induced seismic mitigation: Report by the BGS.
• Geomechanical study of Bowland shale seismicity: Report commissioned by Cuadrilla.
• Induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing for the recovery of hydrocarbons: Paper by Davies et al..
• Investigation of observed seismicity in the Horn River Basin: Report by the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission
• Seismic monitoring of drilling operations in Balcombe, West Sussex: Report by Horleston et al. (Bristol Uni).

Reports on shale gas development and water quality issues:

• Find a Well: Resource from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, allowing a map search for wells and the composition of fracking fluids.
• Fracking UK Shale: Water: Guide written by DECC into water issues in the UK.
• Shale gas and water: Report by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.
• Hydraulic fracturing: meeting the nation's energy needs while protecting groundwater resources: Position paper by the (US) National Groundwater Association.
• Impact of shale gas development on regional water quality: Review paper by Vidic et al..
• State Oil and Gas Agency Groundwater Investigations And Their Role in Advancing Regulatory Reforms A Two-State Review: Ohio and Texas: Review by the Groundwater Protection Council. This also comes with a handy, useful ppt version.
• The Impact of Marcellus Gas Drilling on Rural Drinking Water Supplies: Report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
• Evaluation of Methane Sources in Groundwater in Northeastern Pennsylvania: Paper by Molofsky et al..
• Baseline Groundwater Quality from 20 Domestic Wells in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania: Report by the USGS on baseline (pre-drilling) water quality.
• Occurrence of methane in groundwater of South-Central New York State, 2012 - Systematic evaluation of a glaciated region by hydrogeologic setting: Report by the USGS. 
• Geochemical and Isotopic Variations in Shallow Groundwater in Areas of the Fayetteville Shale Development, North-Central Arkansas: Paper by Warner et al. (the Duke Uni team). 
• Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing: Paper by Osborn et al. (Duke again). 
• An Evaluation of Water Quality in Private Drinking Water Wells Near Natural Gas Extraction Sites in the Barnett Shale Formation Paper by Fontenot et al..
• Hydraulic fractures: How far can they go? Paper by Davies et al..
• Hydraulic fracture height limits and fault interactions in tight oil and gas formations: Paper by Flewelling et al..
• Potential groundwater impact from exploitation of shale gas in the UK: Report by the BGS.
• Regulatory statements on hydraulic fracturing submitted by the states, June 2009: Reports from regulatory bodies in 12 states
• Environmental Impacts During Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling: Causes, Impacts and Remedies: Report by Considine et al. (2013), investigating environmental violations in the Marcellus shale.
• Oil and gas wells and their integrity: Implications for shale and unconventional resource exploitation: Paper by Davies and the Durham ReFINE Group.
• The flux of radionuclides in flowback fluids from shale gas exploitation: Paper by Davies and the Durham ReFINE Group.

Reports on shale gas development and air quality issues:

• Monitoring and control of fugitive methane from unconventional gas operations: Report by the Environment Agency.
• State of the Air 2013: Annual report by the American Lung Association.
• Measurements of methane emissions at natural gas production sites in the United States: Paper by Allen et al..
• Evaluation of impact of shale gas operations in the Barnett Shale region on volatile organic compounds in air and potential human health risks: Paper by Bunch et al..
• A series of papers (comments and replies) discussing air quality measurements over Colorado and Utah shale fields: Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range - A pilot study by Petron et al.; Comment on “Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range: A pilot study” by Levi; Reply to comment on "Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado front range - A Pilot Study" by Petron et al.; Reply to “Reply to ‘Comment on “Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range – A Pilot Study”’ by Levi.; Methane emissions estimate from airborne measurements over a western United States natural gas field by Karion et al..

Hydraulic fracturing and water consumption:

• Water and shale gas development: Report by Accenture.
• Life cycle water consumption for shale gas and conventional natural gas: Paper by Clark et al..
• Drought and the water-energy nexus in Texas: Paper by Scanlon et al..
• Water use for shale gas production in Texas, US: Paper by Nicot and Scanlon.

Shale gas and legal issues:

• It is often suggested that evidence regarding shale gas development is hidden behind legal settlements. This issue is assessed in the following report. Unconventional Oil and Gas Litigation Trends: Report by Navigant Consulting.
• A particularly newsworthy case involved a supposed gagging order on the Hallowich family. Here is a letter from the Pennsylvania DEP outlining the results of their tests on the family's water.

Case-specific reports:

• Fracking: A report on the risks and benefits associated with the proposed exploration for oil at Lower Stumble, Balcombe: Investigation conducted by Balcombe Parish Council.
• Hydrogeological assessment of oil well drilling for protecting groundwater: Environmental Agency risk assessment for the Balcombe site.
• Drill phase Environmental Monitoring Report, Balcombe: Data collected by GroundGas Solutions studying impact of drilling at Balcombe on air and water quality.
• Measurements of methane gas, Dart Energy Forth Valley: Investigation by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency into allegations of fugitive methane leaks.
• Envrinomental Statement: Environmental Statement prepared by ARUP for Cuadrilla's Preston New Road drilling site.

Public perception of shale developments:

• Public perceptions of shale gas in the UK: Report by Nottingham University.
• “Fracking” controversy and communication: Using national survey data to understand public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing: Paper by Boudet et al..

This page will remain "under construction" - new reports and papers will be added as they are published. Suggestions welcome, although I'm mainly aiming for peer-reviewed papers and major reports released by reputable organisations.