News & Announcements

For more news visit: Penn State Live - Marcellus Shale

Latest News - Natural Gas: Penn State Cooperative Extension
Penn State Cooperative Extension provides weekly updates on the opportunities and challenges arising from development of the Marcellus Shale.

Marcellus Shale Examiner
Weekly e-newsletter, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

2013 National Academy of Engineering Topical Meeting on Shale Gas: Promises and Challenges: http://naeshalegas.com/

March 2012

Webinars to provide an overview on the Shale Impact Fee: Act 13- TPenn State is offering two special evening webinars, one geared for the public (March 15) and one geared fo municipal officials (March 22).

Understanding and Preparing for Marcellus Shale Impacts in Your School District- The impacts of the gas industry on school districts are the theme of an upcoming one-day conference being planned at Penn State for school district administrators and educators.

February 2012

How much natural gas can the Marcellus Shale product? An explanation. The key to comprehending the wide-ranging estimates of the Marcellus shale's natural gas reserves lies in understanding the nuances of the terms applied to oil and gas reserve estimates--namely, proved, unproved, undiscovered and technically recoverable.

October 2011

Study looks at water quality in private wells near Marcellus drilling- A study of more than 200 drinking water wells near Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in 20 counties did not find statistically significant evidence of contamination from hydraulic fracturing - a process used by gas drillers to release natural gas using a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemical additives.

Marcellus Shale Research Network to track shale region's water quality- Development of a database that will be able to track potential impacts of Marcellus Shale activity on water quality is the focus of a new $750,000 research collaboration led by Penn State researchers.

September 2011

MCOR to Lead NSF Science Education Grant on Shale Gas, Energy - A multidisciplinary team of Penn State researchers will pilot science- and energy-based programming to Pennsylvania counties experiencing natural gas exploration and production as part of a $2.5-million grant from the National Science Foundation

August 2011

Study indicates economic benefits from Marcellus Shale, but questions remain - A new study examining the Marcellus Shale natural gas boom in Pennsylvania suggests that, although development of this resource is having a positive economic impact in the state, the net benefits may be more modest than previously reported.
Impacts of Marcellus Shale Development on Municipal Governments in Susquehanna and Washington Counties, 2010 - After examining a decade of revenue and expenditure data from more than three dozen townships in Susquehanna and Washington counties, two Penn State researchers concluded "no significant differences in spending or revenue collection before or after Marcellus activity in those townships."

June 2011

Natural Gas Utilization Workshop - June 29-30, 2011; University Park, Pa. A new industry-led initiative to promote in-state utilization of Marcellus Shale natural gas by developing combined-heat-and-power (CHP) systems was announced Thursday at the Natural Gas Utilization Workshop at Penn State.

White papers, presentations from Natural Gas Utilization Workshop June 29-30, 2011.

EPA Identifies Pennsylvania Sites for National Study on Hydraulic Fracturing- June 23, 2011.

May 2011

Marcellus Shale Multi-Sstate Academic Research Conference - May 10-11, 2011; Altoona, Pa. The conference aims to bring together academic researchers across the Mid-Atlantic region to build multi-institutional academic partnerships focused on Marcellus Shale and to identify a broad applied research agenda that includes natural resources, wildlife, community and economic implications and production technologies. Note: Participants need to be affiliated with a university in order to attend.

March 2011

State Tax Implications of Marcellus Shale: What the Pennsylvania Data Say in 2010. This new Penn State publication examines state tax collection data, specifically comparing Marcellus and non-Marcellus counties. Recent state tax collection information gathered by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue provides some insight into the short run economic and state tax implications of gas development in the Commonwealth.

February 2011

MCOR Co-Director to Present at EPA Technical Workshop

January 2011

Heinz Endowments awards Marcellus Shale research grant to Penn State

Marcellus Shale Summit - 12:45 - 4:00 p.m., Jan. 25. Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center. Central Penn Business Journal

December 2010

Plumbing the Depths in Pennsylvania: A Primer on Marcellus Shale Geology and Technology - Webinar with Michael A. Arthur, Professor of Geosciences and Co-Director, Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research

October 2010

Water Management for Marcellus Shale Gas Production a Growing Issue - Webinar with David Yoxtheimer, Extension Associate, Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research
"Why is Marcellus Shale Such a Hot Topic?" Ross Pifer, Penn State Law, highlights legal issues in Marcellus Shale development
MCOR Extension Associate Yoxtheimer to present at Marcellus Shale Water Resources Workshop
David Yoxtheimer, MCOR Extension Associate, will discuss "Water Use and Treatment in Natural Gas Drilling" at the "Marcellus Shale in the Shenandoah Valley: Opportunities and Issues" workshop on Thursday, Oct. 28. Held in Winchester, Va., the workshop (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is sponsored by Regional Water Resources Policy Committee and the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission.

August 2010

Marcellus Seed Grant Program: Investigating the Human/Societal Impacts and Environmental Issues Related to Marcellus Shale Development
Research on the human/societal impacts and environmental topics is underway by six interdisciplinary teams of Penn State researchers through a seed grant program sponsored by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIEE) in conjunction with the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

July 2010

Penn State Offers New Rural Economic Development Clinic
Penn State Law has established a Rural Economic Development Clinic to provide services and resources on legal issues encountered by agricultural businesses and rural communities. The clinic is stafafed by law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys.
Grant to Help Penn College Deliver Marcellus Shale Training
Federal grant funding totaling nearly $5 million will enable Pennsylvania College of Technology to serve as one of two regional hubs coordinating the delivery of job recruitment, training and placement services for the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry across several states. Penn College and Westmoreland County Community College will lead a consortium of colleges and training organizations tasked with training qualified workers in 69 counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
Hydrogeologist Joins Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research
David Yoxtheimer, P.G., a Penn State alumnus with 18 years of hydrogeologic consulting experience, has joined the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research as an Extension Associate in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) effective July 15.

Penn State Marcellus Links