Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

Debra A Kaden, Tracie L. Rose

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780128041253
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Geology & Earth Sciences

Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development offers a series of authoritative perspectives from varied viewpoints on key issues relevant in the use of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, providing a timely presentation of requisite information on the implications of these technologies for those connected to unconventional oil and shale gas development.

Utilizing expertise from a range of contributors in academia, non-governmental organizations, and the oil and gas industry, Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development is an essential resource for academics and professionals in the oil and gas, environmental, and health and safety industries as well as for policy makers.

• Offers a multi-disciplinary appreciation of the environmental and health issues related to unconventional oil and shale gas development
• Serves as a collective resource for academics and professionals in the oil and gas, environmental, health, and safety industries, as well as environmental scientists and policymakers
• Features a diverse and expert group of chapter authors from academia, non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies, and the oil and gas industry

Chapter 1

The Unconventional Oil and Gas Process, and an Introduction to Exposure Pathways

Uni Blake American Petroleum Industry (API), Regulatory and Science Affairs, Washington, DC, USA

Abstract

Oil and gas (O&G) development is a catalyst for economic growth; it also offers substantial benefits as an affordable energy source, and as a feedstock for chemicals that are utilized in numerous products. Yet the recent expansion of unconventional O&G development has led to an increase in scrutiny by policymakers, regulators, environmentalists, and public health advocates who cite both potential environmental and public health effects. Ongoing efforts to better understand the potential issues, maximize the benefits, and manage the risks are complicated by the complexity of industry operations, and the inconsistencies in research findings. The complex interreliance of site characteristics, and the chemicals utilized and produced has had a bearing on the interpretation of the environmental and health implications. Chapter 1 takes a broad introductory look at the O&G industry, addressing the plausibility of environmental and public health effects by introducing an exposure pathway analysis.

Keywords

exposure pathway analysis

hydraulic fracturing

unconventional oil and gas development

Chapter Outline

Introduction to the Oil and Gas Industry 1

Introduction to the Oil and Gas Industry Sector 2

Industry Segments 2

Industry Structure and Players 2

Industry Activities 3

Onshore Unconventional Resource Development 4

Exploration Phase 4

Well Construction 6

Well Stimulation (Hydraulic Fracturing) 6

Production 8

Transportation 8

Reclamation 8

Permitting, Regulations, and Other Programs 8

Exposure Pathway Evaluation of Unconventional Oil and Gas Activities 8

Exposure Pathway Analysis 9

Potential Exposure Pathways 9

Air 9

Water 10

Pathway Identification 10

Social, Economic, and Cultural Considerations 11

Conclusions 11

References 11

Introduction to the oil and gas industry

The Oil & Gas (O&G) sector is highly dynamic and technical, with a long history: the first commercial gas well was dug in Fredonia, NY in 1821; the first oil well was dug in 1859 in Titusville, PA; the first time rotary drilling technique was applied to an oil well was in 1901 in TX; and the first horizontal well was drilled in 1937 in the Havener Run field in OH (Dickey, 1959; Primer, 2009; Pees, 1989).

As the easily recoverable O&G fields started to mature, focus shifted to accessing the resources from less traditional sources that had been considered uneconomical. The demand for energy rose concurrently, and by the energy crisis in 1973, the US Department of Energy (DOE) was funding programs geared towards developing less traditional O&G resources. By the late 1990s dramatic advancements in the technologies allowed for the development of unconventional resources. The result was a dramatic increase in the pace of domestic O&G production in the United States. It is anticipated that under the current growth scenario, the US is on track to become a net exporter of O&G (Figure 1.1) (see Chapter 2).

Figure 1.1 US net exporter. Source: US Energy Information Administration (2015).

Introduction to the Oil and Gas Industry Sector

Industry segments

The O&G industry’s value chain is divided into three segments. The upstream segment is responsible for exploration and production activities. It includes the businesses involved in drilling, extraction, and recovery of the resources. The midstream segment is responsible for the development, and management of the infrastructure that connects the production of the resources to the next segment. For natural gas, the midstream segment businesses include: processing, pipeline transportation, rail transportation, and shipments (see Chapter 9). The downstream segment acts as the transformation point for the resources into consumable products. It also includes the refining and marketing of the resources.

Industry structure and players

The industry is composed of many different companies and organizations that contribute to various segments of the value chain: fully integrated companies have business in all segments; independent producers, independent refiners, and independent marketers focus only on a particular segment; pipeline companies transport the resources through a network of pipelines, and compressor stations; and, service companies support the primary functions of the various segments. There are also trade associations, and professional organizations that support the industry, and government agenci...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• About the Authors
• Acknowledgment
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Unconventional Oil and Gas Process, and an Introduction to Exposure Pathways
• Chapter 2: Hydraulic Fracturing for Shale Gas: Economic Rewards and Risks
• Chapter 3: Methane Emissions from the Natural Gas Supply Chain
• Chapter 4: A Review of Drinking Water Contamination Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing
• Chapter 5: Water Use and Wastewater Management: Interrelated Issues with Unique Problems and Solutions
• Chapter 6: A Primer on Litigation That Involves Alleged Water Well Contamination From Hydraulic Fracturing
• Chapter 7: Occupational Health and Safety Aspects of Oil and Gas Extraction
• Chapter 8: Public Health, Risk Perception, and Risk Communication: Unconventional Shale Gas in the United States and the European Union
• Chapter 9: Transportation of Shale Gas and Oil Resources
• Chapter 10: An Evaluation of the Hydraulic Fracturing Literature for the Determination of Cause–Effect Relationships and the Analysis of Environmental Risk and Sustainability
• Chapter 11: Induced Seismicity
• Chapter 12: State and Federal Oil and Gas Regulations
• Chapter 13: An International Perspective of Challenges and Constraints in Shale Gas Extraction
• Subject Index