Shale Gas and Water Resources in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Water Science Center and other USGS scientists are studying water availability, use, quality, and ecology associated with development of shale-gas energy resources in Pennsylvania.
Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania is focused on the Marcellus Shale. USGS is helping understand potential and actual impacts on water resources and ecosystems.
Related USGS science
Regional Synthesis of Groundwater Quality in Domestic Supply Wells in Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania
Groundwater Quality of Domestic Supply Wells in Pennsylvania
Framework for Examining Stream Ecosystem Health in Areas of Shale Gas Development—A Multi-Parameter Watershed-Based Case Study in Pennsylvania
Hydraulic Fracturing
Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development
Water Issues and Marcellus Shale Gas Development in New York
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources: An Assessment of the Potential Effects of Shale Gas Development on Water Resources in the United States
Compilation of data not available in the National Water Information System for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, May-September 2017
Natural gas and oil drilling disturbance in the Marcellus Shale region of the New York - Pennsylvania border
Compilation of wells sampled, physical characteristics of wells, links to water-quality data, and quality assurance and quality control data for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Potter County, Pennsylvania, April-September 2017
Compilation of data not available in the National Water Information System for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, May-August 2016
Field properties and results of laboratory analysis of groundwater samples collected from 79 wells in Pike County, Pennsylvania, 1982-2015
Shale gas data used in development of the Disturbance Intensity Index for the Pennsylvania portion of the Upper Susquehanna River basin in Maloney et al. 2018.
Related publications
Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset
Factors Affecting Groundwater Quality Used for Domestic Supply in Marcellus Shale Region of North-Central and North-East Pennsylvania, USA
Method for compiling temporally and spatially aggregated data on hydraulic fracturing—Treatments and wells
Utica shale play oil and gas brines: Geochemistry and factors influencing wastewater management
The Utica and Marcellus Shale Plays in the Appalachian Basin are the fourth and first largest natural gas producing plays in the United States, respectively. Hydrocarbon production generates large volumes of brine (“produced water”) that must be disposed of, treated, or reused. Though Marcellus brines have been studied extensively, there are few studies from the Utica Shale Play. This study presen
Groundwater quality in relation to drinking water health standards and hydrogeologic and geochemical characteristics for 47 domestic wells in Potter County, Pennsylvania, 2017
Groundwater quality in relation to drinking water health standards and geochemical characteristics for 54 domestic wells in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, 2017
Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania
The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and integration o
Hydrocarbons in upland groundwater, Marcellus Shale Region, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New York, USA
Drinking water health standards comparison and chemical analysis of groundwater for 72 domestic wells in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 2016
Baseline assessment of groundwater quality in Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2015
Groundwater quality for 75 domestic wells in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, 2014
Transport of hydraulic fracturing waste from Pennsylvania wells: A county-level analysis of road use and associated road repair costs
The Pennsylvania Water Science Center and other USGS scientists are studying water availability, use, quality, and ecology associated with development of shale-gas energy resources in Pennsylvania.
Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania is focused on the Marcellus Shale. USGS is helping understand potential and actual impacts on water resources and ecosystems.
Related USGS science
Regional Synthesis of Groundwater Quality in Domestic Supply Wells in Northeast and North Central Pennsylvania
Groundwater Quality of Domestic Supply Wells in Pennsylvania
Framework for Examining Stream Ecosystem Health in Areas of Shale Gas Development—A Multi-Parameter Watershed-Based Case Study in Pennsylvania
Hydraulic Fracturing
Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development
Water Issues and Marcellus Shale Gas Development in New York
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources: An Assessment of the Potential Effects of Shale Gas Development on Water Resources in the United States
Compilation of data not available in the National Water Information System for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, May-September 2017
Natural gas and oil drilling disturbance in the Marcellus Shale region of the New York - Pennsylvania border
Compilation of wells sampled, physical characteristics of wells, links to water-quality data, and quality assurance and quality control data for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Potter County, Pennsylvania, April-September 2017
Compilation of data not available in the National Water Information System for domestic wells sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, May-August 2016
Field properties and results of laboratory analysis of groundwater samples collected from 79 wells in Pike County, Pennsylvania, 1982-2015
Shale gas data used in development of the Disturbance Intensity Index for the Pennsylvania portion of the Upper Susquehanna River basin in Maloney et al. 2018.
Related publications
Analysis of the United States documented unplugged orphaned oil and gas well dataset
Factors Affecting Groundwater Quality Used for Domestic Supply in Marcellus Shale Region of North-Central and North-East Pennsylvania, USA
Method for compiling temporally and spatially aggregated data on hydraulic fracturing—Treatments and wells
Utica shale play oil and gas brines: Geochemistry and factors influencing wastewater management
The Utica and Marcellus Shale Plays in the Appalachian Basin are the fourth and first largest natural gas producing plays in the United States, respectively. Hydrocarbon production generates large volumes of brine (“produced water”) that must be disposed of, treated, or reused. Though Marcellus brines have been studied extensively, there are few studies from the Utica Shale Play. This study presen
Groundwater quality in relation to drinking water health standards and hydrogeologic and geochemical characteristics for 47 domestic wells in Potter County, Pennsylvania, 2017
Groundwater quality in relation to drinking water health standards and geochemical characteristics for 54 domestic wells in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, 2017
Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania
The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and integration o