Shale Gas, Tight Oil, and Hydraulic Fracturing: CRS Experts

Shale Gas, Tight Oil, and Hydraulic Fracturing: CRS Experts

Shale Gas, Tight Oil, and Hydraulic Fracturing: CRS Experts

August 10, 2016 (R42677)

Contents

Tables

Table 1. Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources

Table 2. Environmental Management and Regulation

The use of hydraulic fracturing—along with advanced drilling methods—has enabled the production of oil and gas from unconventional (low-permeability) reservoirs that were previously inaccessible. This technique is now used on more than 90% of new wells and has resulted in the marked expansion of estimated U.S. oil and natural gas reserves in recent years.¹ The rapidly expanding use of hydraulic fracturing has drawn congressional attention to a range of related issues including potential environmental impacts, state and federal regulatory requirements, implications for domestic oil and gas supplies and energy independence, pipeline capacity and development, oil and gas exports, and others. The following tables provide names and contact information for CRS experts on major issues associated with hydraulic fracturing and unconventional oil and gas resource development. (See also CRS Report R42667, Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal: CRS Experts, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].)

Table 1. Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources

Legislative Issues

Name/Title

Phone

E-mail

Resource Assessment and Production

Shale gas and other unconventional natural gas resources

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Tight oil (shale oil and other unconventional oil resources)

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Economics

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Technical Issues

Geology (oil and gas formations, aquifers, induced seismicity)

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy and Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Hydraulic fracturing/well stimulation processes

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy and Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Natural gas flaring, venting, and fugitive emissions

Rick Lattanzio
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Oil and gas drilling and production processes

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy and Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Pipelines and distribution

Paul Parfomak
Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Induced seismicity (earthquakes)

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy and Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Well construction and operation

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy and Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Markets and Utilization

Consumption

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Economics

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Imports, Exports, and Trade

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Trade (legal aspects, World Trade Organization)

Brandon Murrill
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

International Issues

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Source: Prepared by Congressional Research Service.

Table 2. Environmental Management and Regulation

Legislative Issues

Name/Title

Phone

E-mail

Air Quality

Clean Air Act (CAA) standards, green completions, fugitive emissions, methane emissions, life cycle analysis, etc.

Rick Lattanzio
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Jim McCarthy
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Chemical Disclosure (Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids)

Legal aspects, state laws

Brandon Murrill
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Federal requirements

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Chemicals/toxicity/reporting

Jerry Yen
Analyst in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal Lands

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hydraulic fracturing regulations

Brandon Murrill
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

BLM chemical disclosure regulations

Brandon Murrill
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

BLM water management requirements

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Natural gas flaring, venting, and fugitive emissions

Rick Lattanzio
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Oil and gas leases (general)

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Energy Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Oil and gas leasing (legal aspects)

[author name scrubbed]
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

[author name scrubbed]
Analyst in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Legal aspects (NEPA)

[author name scrubbed]
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Water Quality and Wastewater Management

Clean Water Act (CWA), surface water discharges, flowback and produced water treatment

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), protection of drinking water and ground water

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Underground Injection Control (UIC) program: wastewater disposal by injection wells, induced seismicity

[author name scrubbed]
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Legal aspects (hydraulic fracturing, SDWA, UIC)

[author name scrubbed]
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Water Resources

Water requirements

Nicole Carter
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Wastewater recycling (flowback and produced water)

Nicole Carter
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Water rights and allocation, water law

Cynthia Brown
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Interstate water compacts

Cynthia Brown
Legislative Attorney

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Hazardous Substance Releases

"Superfund" (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA), release investigation and response

David Bearden
Specialist in Environmental Policy

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Source: Prepared by Congressional Research Service.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Environmental Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Energy Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.

Hydraulic fracturing is done after a well is drilled and involves injecting large volumes of water, sand (or other propping agent), and specialized chemicals under enough pressure to fracture the formations holding the oil or gas. The sand or other proppant holds the fractures open to allow the oil or gas to flow freely out of the formation and into a production well. See CRS Report R43148, An Overview of Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas: Resources and Federal Actions, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed] and CRS Report R41760, Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Regulatory Issues, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].