Research article: An analysis of unconventional gas well reporting under Pennsylvania's Act 13 of 2012

Environmental Practice

Volumn 14, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 262-277

  Gehman, Joel ^a   Mastroianni, Diego ^b   Grant, Angela ^c   Etzion, Dror ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA   (Canada)

^b MCGILL UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^c MCGILL UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COMPLIANCE; DATABASE; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH; ENVIRONMENTAL TAX; GAS WELL; GIS; INFORMATION MANAGEMENT;

PENNSYLVANIA; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84872061812     PISSN: 14660466     EISSN: 14660474     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S1466046612000373     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Akin Gump. 2012. Pennsylvania Passes Shale Gas Drilling Law. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Houston, TX. Available at http://www.akingump. com/communicationcenter/newsalertdetail. aspx?pub52996 (accessed April 23, 2012).
2. Argote, L. 1999.Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge. Springer, New York, 212 pp.
3. Argyris, C., and D. A. Schön. 1978.Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 344 pp.
4. Behling, M. C., S. Pool, D. G. Patchen, and J. A. Harper. 2008. Improving the Availability and Delivery of Critical Information for Tight Gas Resource Development in the Appalachian Basin. DOE Award DE-FC26-05NT42661.US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 27 pp.
5. Belieu, S. D., M. J. Paque, and R. J. Simmers. 2001. An Environmental Information Management Suite for U. S. Oil and GasWells. Paper presented at the Exploration and Production Environmental Conference, Society of Petroleum Engineers, February 26-28, San Antonio, TX, 12 pp.
6. Bonham-Carter, G. F. 1994. Geographic Information Systems for Geoscientists: Modelling with GIS. Elsevier, Burlington, MA, 416 pp.
7. Butts, C. 1918. Geologic Section of Blair and Huntingdon Counties, Central Pennsylvania. American Journal of Science 46(273):523-537.
8. Cahoy, D. R., J. Gehman, and Z. Lei. Forthcoming. Fracking Patents: The Emergence of Patents as Information Containment Tools in Shale Drilling. Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review.
9. Callon, M., P. Lascoumes, and Y. Barthe. 2009. Acting in an Uncertain World: An Essay on Technical Democracy. Inside Technology. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 298 pp.
10. Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 2012, rev. June. Pennsylvania Unconventional Natural GasWells Geodatabase (computer file). CarnegieMuseum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA, 10 pp. Available at http://www.carnegiemnh.org/ assets/science/pnr/UnconventionalWells-Metadata.pdf (accessed October 27, 2012).
11. Carter, K. M. 2007. Subsurface Rock Correlation Diagram, Oil and Gas Producing Regions of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Open-File Report OFOG 07-01. 1. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 1 p. Available at http://www. dcnr. state. pa.us/topogeo/drc/index. aspx (accessed April 10, 2012).
12. Colborn, T., C. Kwiatkowski, K. Schultz, and M. Bachran. 2011. Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 17(5):1039-1056.
13. Corbett, T. 2011. Creation ofGovernor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. Executive Order 2011-01. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of theGovernor, Harrisburg, PA, 137 pp. Available at http://files.dep. state. pa.us/publicparticipation/marcellusshaleadvisorycommission/marcellusshale advisoryportalfiles/msac-final-report.pdf (accessed April 12, 2012).
14. Cozart, C. L., and J. A. Harper. 1993. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1991. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 205. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 96 pp.
15. Detrow, S. 2012a. Commonwealth Court: Act 13's Zoning Restrictions Are Unconstitutional. StateImpact Pennsylvania, July 26.
16. Detrow, S. 2012b. Court Bars Public Utility Commission from Reviewing Drilling Ordinances. StateImpact Pennsylvania, October 26.
17. Detrow, S. 2012c. Mapping Pennsylvania's Impact Fee Revenue (This Time, Officially). StateImpact Pennsylvania, April 30.
18. Edelman, L. B., C. Uggen, and H. S. Erlanger. 1999. The Endogeneity of Legal Regulation: Grievance Procedures as Rational Myth. American Journal of Sociology 105(2):406-454.
19. Etzion, D., and F. Ferraro. 2010. The Role of Analogy in the Institutionalization of Sustainability Reporting.Organization Science 21(5):1092-1107.
20. Fischetti, M. 2010. The Drillers Are Coming. Scientific American 303(1):82-85.
21. Gallagher, H., and D. Song. 2011. Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Are You Sure You Are Not Applicable? Environmental Practice 13(2):122-129.
22. Garud, R., and J. Gehman. 2012. Metatheoretical Perspectives on Sustainability Journeys: Evolutionary, Relational And Durational. Research Policy 41(6):980-995.
23. Garud, R., J. Gehman, and A. Kumaraswamy. 2011. Complexity Arrangements for Sustained Innovation: Lessons from 3M Corporation.Organization Studies 32(6):737-767.
24. Hamill, S. D. 2012. Drilling Numbers Do Not Add Up. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January. 8.
25. Harper, J. A. 1982. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1981. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 195. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 116 pp.
26. Harper, J. A. 1986. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1986. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 200. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 93 pp.
27. Harper, J. A. 2008. The Marcellus Shale: An Old "New" Gas Reservoir in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Geology 38(1):2-13.
28. Harper, J. A., and C. L. Cozart. 1988. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1987. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 201. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 80 pp.
29. Harper, J. A., and C. L. Cozart. 1992. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1990 with Ten-Year Review and Forecast. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 204. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 85 pp.
30. Howarth, R., R. Santoro, and A. Ingraffea. 2011. Methane and the Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations. Climatic Change 106(4):679-690.
31. Johnson, N., T. Gagnolet, R. Ralls, E. Zimmerman, B. Eichelberger, C. Tracey, G. Kreitler, S. Orndorff, J. Tomlinson, S. Bearer, and S. Sargent. 2010, November 15. Pennsylvania Energy Impacts Assessment: Report 1-Marcellus Shale Natural Gas and Wind. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 46 pp. Available at http://www.shalegas. energy.gov/resources/tnc-energy-analysis.pdf (accessed April 12, 2012).
32. Kelley, D. R., W. S. Lytle, W. R. Wagner, and L. Heyman. 1969. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1968. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 177. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 48 pp.
33. Kimmel, S. L., and P. F. Fulton. 1983. Results of Pressure Transient Well Testing in Appalachian Gas Reservoirs. Paper presented at the Eastern Regional Meeting, Society of Petroleum Engineers, November 9-11, Pittsburgh, PA, 12 pp.
34. Kirr, J. N., G. E. Eddy, C. D. Locke, and J. B. Smith. 1986. Geology and Production Potential of the Devonian Rhinestreet Shale: A Case Study of Three Wells. Paper presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Unconventional Gas Technology Symposium, May 18-21, Louisville, KY, 14 pp.
35. Kunce, M., andW. E. Morgan. 2005. Taxation of Oil and Gas in the United States 1970-1997. Natural Resources Journal 45(1):77-101.
36. Levine, M. E., and J. L. Forrence. 1990. Regulatory Capture, Public Interest, and the Public Agenda: Toward a Synthesis. Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization 6 (special issue):167-198.
37. Lytle, W. S., L. Heyman, andW. R. Wagner. 1967. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1966. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 173. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 51 pp.
38. Mamoulis, N. 2012. Spatial Data Management. Morgan & Claypool, San Rafael, CA, 150 pp.
39. Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research. 2012. Marcellus Shale Wells. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Available at http://www. marcellus. psu. edu/images/Wells-all. gif (accessed April 27, 2012).
40. Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission (MSAC). 2011, July 22.Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission Final Report. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of theGovernor, Harrisburg, PA, 137 pp. Available at http://files.dep. state. pa.us/publicparticipation/marcellusshaleadvisory commission/ marcellusshaleadvisoryportalfiles/msac-final-report.pdf (accessed April 12, 2012).
41. McKenzie, L. M., R. Z. Witter, L. S. Newman, and J. L. Adgate. 2012. Human Health Risk Assessment of Air Emissions from Development of Unconventional Natural Gas Resources. Science of the Total Environment 424:79-87.
42. Meyer, M. W., and L. G. Zucker. 1989. Permanently Failing Organizations. Sage, Newbury Park, CA, 192 pp.
43. Mooney, C. 2011. The Truth about Fracking. Scientific American 305(5):80-85.
44. National Research Council. 2012. Advancing Strategic Science: A Spatial Data Infrastructure Roadmap for the U. S. Geological Survey. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 115 pp.
45. O'Keefe, B. 2012. Exxon's Big Bet on Shale Gas. Fortune, April 30, pp. 75-86.
46. Osborn, S. G., A. Vengosh, N. R. Warner, and R. B. Jackson. 2011. Methane Contamination of Drinking Water Accompanying Gas-Well Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 108(20):8172-8176.
47. Ostrom, E. 1990.Governing the commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press, New York, 298 pp.
48. Patchen, D. G., K. A. Schwarz, T. H. DeBrosse, E. P. Bendler, J. B. Hermann, J. A. Harper, W. W. Kelly, and K. L. Avary. 1981. Northeastern United States. AAPG Bulletin 65(10):1896-1929.
49. Patchen, D., K. A. Schwarz, T. A. Debrosse, E. P. Bendler, M. P. McCormac, J. A. Harper, W. W. Kelly, and K. L. Avary. 1984. Oil and Gas Developments in Mid-Eastern States in 1983. AAPG Bulletin 68(10):1383-1399.
50. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2000, April 10. Pennsylvania's Plan for Addressing Problem Abandoned Wells and Orphaned Wells. Document 550-0800-001. PA DEP Bureau of Oil and Gas Management, Harrisburg, PA, 8 pp. Available at http://www.elibrary. dep. state. pa.us/dsweb/Get/Version-48262/550-0800-001.pdf (accessed May 4, 2012).
51. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2011a, November 14. Internal Review of Inspection and Enforcement of Natural Gas Operations. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA, 10 pp. Available at http://files.dep. state. pa.us/OilGas/OilGasLandingPageFiles/NOV/FINALMarcellus EnforcementProjectFindings.pdf (accessed May 4, 2012).
52. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2011b, rev. March. Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Production in Pennsylvania. Document 5500-FS-DEP2018. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA, 3 pp. Available at http://www.elibrary. dep. state. pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-83620/5500-FSDEP2018.pdf (accessed April 10, 2012).
53. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2012a. Act 13 Frequently Asked Questions. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA, 8 pp. Available at http://files.dep. state. pa.us/OilGas/OilGasLandingPageFiles/Act13/Act-13-FAQ. pdf (accessed April 10, 2012).
54. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2012b, March 27. Act 13 Overview Webinar. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA. Available at http://www.depweb. state. pa.us/portal/server. pt/community/act-13/20789 (accessed April 10, 2012).
55. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2012c, rev. April. Instructions for Completing an Application for a Permit to Drill or Alter an Oil and Gas Well. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA, 10 pp. Form 8000-PM-OOGM0001. Available at http://www.elibrary. dep. state. pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-87960/ 8000-PM-OOGM0001%20Instructions.pdf (accessed April 10, 2012).
56. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). 2012d. Public Utility Commission Act 13 UnconventionalWells Spud Report through December 31, 2011. PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA, 206 pp. Available at http://files. dep. state. pa.us/OilGas/OilGasLandingPageFiles/Act13/PUC-2011-Web.pdf (accessed March 14, 2012).
57. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC). 2012a, May 10. Chapter 23 Final Order. PA PUC, Harrisburg, PA, 20 pp. Docket No. M-2012-2288561.
58. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC). 2012b, September 13. Impact Fee Implementation. PA PUC, Harrisburg, PA, 20 pp. Available at http://www.puc. state. pa.us/NaturalGas/pdf/MarcellusShale/Act13-Implementation- Presentation.pdf (accessed October 27, 2012).
59. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA PUC). 2012c, July 19. Reconsideration Order Regarding Chapter 23. PA PUC, Harrisburg, PA, 10 pp. Docket No. M-2012-2288561.
60. Piotrowski, R. G. 1980. Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1979. Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th series, Progress Report 193. Pennsyl-vania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg, PA, 64 pp.
61. PPDM. 2012. PPDM Standards. PPDM, Calgary, Canada. http://www.ppdm.org/ ppdm-standards (accessed May 9, 2012).
62. Rabe, B. G., and C. P. Borick. 2012, rev. June 1. The Conventional Politics of Unconventional Drilling: The Case of Shale Gas Development in Pennsylvania. 26 pp. http://ssrn.com/abstract51908747 (accessed September 6, 2012).
63. Rushing, J. A., K. E. Newsham, and T. A. Blasingame. 2008. Rock Typing: Keys to Understanding Productivity in Tight Gas Sands. Paper presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Unconventional Reservoirs Conference, February 10-12, Keystone, CO, 31 pp.
64. Ryder, R. T. 2004. Stratigraphic Framework and Depositional Sequences in the Lower Silurian Regional Oil and Gas Accumulation, Appalachian Basin: From Ashland County, Ohio, through Southwestern Pennsylvania, to Preston County, West Virginia.US Geological Survey, Geologic Investigations Series, Map I-2810.US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey, Washington, DC.
65. TGS. 2012. Marcellus Well Log Formation Top Interpretation. TGS, Houston, TX, 1 p. Available at http://www.tgs. com/uploadedFiles/Geological-Zone/Well- Log-Data/Formation-Tops/Marcellus%20Formation%20Tops.pdf (accessed May 6, 2012).
66. Thornton, P. H., W. Ocasio, and M. Lounsbury. 2012. The Institutional Logics Perspective: A New Approach to Culture, Structure, and Process. Oxford University Press, New York, 250 pp.
67. US Energy Information Administration (US EIA). 2011, July. Review of Emerging Resources: U. S. Shale Gas and Shale Oil Plays.US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 82 pp.
68. US Energy Information Administration (US EIA). 2012, June 25. Annual Energy Outlook 2012 Early Release Overview. DOE/EIA-0383ER(2012).US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 239 pp.
69. Volz, C. D., K. Ferrar, D. Michanowicz, C. Christen, S. Kearney, M. Kelso, and S. Malone. 2011. Contaminant Characterization of Effluent from Pennsylvania Brine Treatment Inc., Josephine Facility: Implications for Disposal of Oil and Gas Flowback Fluids from Brine Treatment Plants.US EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Technical Workshop 3: Fate and Transport. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, 28 pp.
70. Whitacre, J. V., and J. W. Wenzel. 2011. Publically Available Records Do Not Indicate Marcellus Wells Reliably. Paper presented at the Pennsylvania Geographical Society Annual Meeting, November 4-5, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA.
71. Wylde, J. J., and B. J. O'Neil. 2011. Environmentally Acceptable Replacement of 2-Butoxyethanol: A High Performance Alternative for Fracturing Applications. Paper presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, April 11-13, The Woodlands, TX, 16 pp.