Marcellus Shale: Cementing and Well Casing Violations
Authors
Steven J Deane-Shinbrot, Kassandra C Ruggles, Griffin Patrick Walker, Sheila Patricia Werth
Sponsor
United States Department of Energy
Advisors
Joshua Rosenstock, Mustapha S. Fofana
Term
October – December 2011
Project Outcomes
Abstract
Natural gas extracted from shale formations is one of the fastest growing sources of energy in the United States. Our IQP analyzes public data regarding regulatory violations related to the casing and cementing of shale gas extraction wells in the state of Pennsylvania. Computer based data analysis programs including Microsoft Excel and MATLAB were used to generate visual representations of the data, which allowed our group the ability to more easily identify trends. Our group also interviewed experts on the shale gas industry in order to gain a more complete understanding of the issues at hand. After these interviews and a thorough analysis of the available data, our group recognized and provided explanations for trends in the data.