OIL & GAS RESOURCES

This information is being made available to our Wayne Township residents, in order for you to make educated decisions regarding Oil & Gas Leasing. Please refer to our March 2012 Newsletter, Pages 3 + 4, for information regarding Leasing Advice and Pennsylvania's Oil & Gas Act of 2012. 

 
WHAT ARE CONVENTIONAL AND UNCONVENTIONAL WELLS?
We have all been hearing these terms being used in recent months, and hopefully this explantion will answer some questions about "Conventional" vs "Unconventional" Gas Wells.
** Note: The following information came from the Northwest Pennsylvania Landowner Group, LLC Newsletter, and is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

What is a Conventional Gas Well? 
A "conventional" gas well, also known as a traditional well, is a well that produces oil or gas from a conventional formation.  Conventional formations are variable in age, occurring both above and below the Elk Sandstone (Upper Devonian formation).  While a limited number of such gas wells are capable of producing sufficient quantities of gas without stimulation by hydralic fracturing, most conventional wells require this stimulation technique, due to the reservoir characteristics in Pennsylvania.  Stimulation of conventional well, however, generally does not require the volume of fluids typically required for unconventional wells.

What is an Unconventional Gas Well?
An "unconventional" gas well is a well that is drilled into an unconventional formation, which is defined as a geologic shale formation below the base of the Elk Sandstone or its geologic equivalent where natural gas generally cannot be produced except by horizontal or vertical well bores stimulated by hydraulic fracturing.
Unconventional formations that are currently being targeted or that may possibly be targeted for oil & gas development in Pennsylvania include, but are not limited to, the Marcellus, Utica, Mandata, Huron, Rhinestreet, and miscellaneous Upper Devonian formations such as the Dunkirk, Pipe Creek, Middlesex, Geneseo, and Burkett.

Pertinent Websites:
http://www.powerincooperation.com/
http://files.dep.state.pa.us/
http://www.waynetownshippa.com/admin/
www.energyfromshale.com

 
LEASING and LANDOWNERS
The Northwest Pennsylvania Landowner Group, LLC (NWPALG) is a coalition of landowners whose purpose is to work together toward a common goal.  This group was started in order to educate landowners about the value beneath their land, and about leasing in general.  They hired an experienced attorney for the group so that the coailtion would know what lease language they would like to see in a lease, and so that they would avoid the many lease pitfalls.  NWPALG agreed to maintain a landowner database so that they could market the group's acreage with negotiating power derived from their substantial acreage.  To contact the Northwest Pennsylvania Landowner Group, LLC please e-mail them at [email protected].

GETTING EDUCATED ABOUT NATURAL GAS PIPELINES JUST GOT EASIER
AN INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS FACILITY ON MY LAND?
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW? 
Published by: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Download at: http://www.ferc.gov/ >> Click on "For Citizens" at the top of the home page and choose "Citizen's Guides"

IT'S TIME TO RETHINK HOW MUCH YOU'RE SPENDING FOR NATURAL GAS 
National Fuel Resources has an informative website: nfrinc.com.  Please refer to their website to answer questions you may have about Natural Gas prices.  

 
WATER QUALITY STUDY
A study of more than 200 drinking water wells near Marcellus Shale drilling sites in 20 Pennsylvania counties did not find statistically significant evidence of contamination from hyraulic fracturing.  The process, often referred to as "fracking", relies on a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemical additives to release natural gas from deep underground crevices.  Some worry the practice is tainting water supplies in the shale region, a concern that led Penn State University to examine the issue.

For a copy of the full report, go to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's website at http://www.rural.palegislature.us/, click on 'Publications', and scroll down to 'Reports' or call
717-787-9555.

 
RESOURCES
You may refer to the following websites in order to further understand the Oil and Gas Industry, and answer some of your questions.

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.naturalgas.psu.edu

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
http://www.extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/ask-the-expert 

PENNSYLVANIA INDEPENDENT OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION (PIOGA)
http://www.pioga.org

GEOLOGY
http://geology.com

PA DEPARTMENT of CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DCNR)
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
http://www.epa.gov

PA DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP)
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/

POWER IN COOPERATION >> UNCONVENTIONAL GAS WELL DRILLING
http://www.powerincooperation.com

MARCELLUS SHALE INFORMATION
http://gomarcellus.com/

MARCELLUS SHALE COALITION
http://marcelluscoalition.org 

KEYSTONE ENERGY FORUM
http://keystoneenergyforum.com

** INFORMATION ON THIS WEBPAGE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  INFORMATION ON THIS WEBPAGE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND/OR FOUND AT THE URL'S INDICATED.