Geology News
Pennsylvania Current Events

The most recent issue of Pennsylvania Geology has an article titled: “The Role of Geology and Terrain in the Defeat of Stuart East of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863″.

USGS has published: “Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Fayette and Lycoming Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004–2010″ as an open file report.

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States.

The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists, teachers, students and others who are interested in the Earth.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline plans to build a pipeline from the Utica Shale play in Ohio to an LNG export facility in Louisiana.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided not to overturn over 100 years of property transactions in a case involving the ownership of natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale. Shale gas is not to be treated differently from natural gas produced from a conventional reservoir.

The United States Geological Survey has published: “Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Allegheny and Susquehanna Counties, Pennsylvania, 2004–2010″. This document explains metrics used to assess the disturbance caused by drilling pads, access roads, pipelines and other gas related activities.

“Eight percent of more than 5,000 wells tested across Pennsylvania contain groundwater with levels of arsenic at or above federal standards set for public drinking water, while an additional 12 percent – though not exceeding standards – show elevated levels of arsenic.” Quoted from the USGS Newsroom.

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey has scanned all of their “fourth series” publications and made them available as free text-searchable PDF documents. Yippie!

Also, if you want any of their publications on paper you must buy them before April 30th, when they will no longer be sold.

The State of Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has a new website that reveals information about the source and distribution of Marcellus Shale drilling impact fees.

“A 2011 record-breaking algae bloom in Lake Erie was triggered by long-term agricultural practices coupled with extreme precipitation, followed by weak lake circulation and warm temperatures, scientists have discovered.” Quoted from the National Science Foundation press release.

“Natural gas production in Pennsylvania averaged 6.1 Bcf/d in 2012, up from 3.6 Bcf/d in 2011, according to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection data released in February 2013. This 69% increase came in spite of a significant drop in the number of new natural gas wells started during the year.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration’s Today in Energy.

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are discussing the use of water from abandoned coal mines for hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences reports that chemical spills associated with Marcellus Shale drilling have not significantly impacted Pennsylvania waterways.

Rising production from the Marcellus Shale could push the rock unit over the 10 billion cubic feet per day production milestone in 2013.

An article at the Akron Beacon Journal Online summarizes content related to economic activity attributed to the Marcellus Shale from the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book.

“Drill cuttings and other materials associated with oil and gas have occasionally triggered radiation monitors at landfills. DEP’s data indicates that less than half a percent of all drill cuttings produced by the Marcellus Shale industry in 2012 that were disposed of in landfills triggered radiation monitors. The cuttings did not contain levels of radioactivity that would be harmful to the public, and they were safely disposed of in the landfills.” Quoted from the DEP announcement.

Did you know that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from any type of subsidence? That includes collapse from sinkholes, oil production, ground water pumping and underground mining activity. Most insurance companies offering homeowners coverage exclude almost any type of geologic hazard from coverage – unless you make specific arrangements to acquire it yourself.

A geologist from Mercyhurst University is impatiently waiting for a fossil Dunkleosteus to weather out of a “surface collecting only” site near Erie, Pennsylvania.

Consol Energy has reached an agreement that will allow it for drill for natural gas on 9,000 acres of land at the Pittsburgh International Airport. This isn’t the first time airport property has been drilled for natural gas. In 2006 land surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was part of a drilling deal.

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

Some experts believe that the pace of drilling and hiring in the Marcellus Shale natural gas play will slow during 2013. This will be a response to a lack of pipeline capacity and production capacity that either exceeds or is unavailable to new consumers.

Dominion Resources and Caiman Energy have a $1.5 billion partnership to develop new natural gas pipelines and processing plants that will serve Utica Shale producers in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The resource can not be developed without this type of investment.

The number of rigs working in the Utica Shale play of eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania has nearly doubled since last year. Most of the new wells are targeting oil.

An article on the USA Today website explains how Superstorm Sandy should be a “wake-up call” that brings attention to the steady rise in sea level.

You own property over a natural gas storage field that has been operated for decades. There is a shale unit below the storage field that could produce natural gas. Who controls that gas?

There are lots of natural gas storage fields in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Activity in the Marcellus Shale play has been an enormous boost to rail traffic. The railroad is hauling frac sand, water, chemicals, pipe, crane mats, natural gas liquids and more.

An NPR article reports that there are about 200,000 orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania. Most of these were drilled before current permitting and closure procedures were established and many of their locations are unknown.

Several companies involved in Marcellus Shale drilling and production report that they were not significantly disrupted by Hurricane Sandy.

Since January 2010, most of the increase in the dry shale gas production in the United States has been generated by the Marcellus Shale and the Haynesville Formation.