The volume of natural gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale formation will be the subject of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.  The session, "Marcellus Reserves and Estimates Substantiated by Production Data," will run from 1 to 2 p.m. on September 19, and will feature Terry Engelder, Penn State professor of geosciences.

A leading authority on the Marcellus Shale gas play, he will provide insight into what current production figures tell us about how much gas the deep formation actually holds. He also will review the economic impact of shale development on regions.

Engelder will explain how estimates of gas reserves have changed over the decade or so since the technology of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allowed the recovery of shale gas.

"Recent news media reports include a spate of books written by shale-gas naysayers with comments such as the shale gas decline curves are spectacular and the Marcellus is grossly over hyped," he said. "I will present production data that should deflate both notions, at least for those who have open minds."

Future Webinars

This webinar is one of a series of 60-minute sessions presented by Penn State Extension's Marcellus Education Team at 1 p.m. on Thursdays. Planned future topics include the following:

--October 17: Midstream Operations, Infrastructure and Market Demands

--November 21: Bradford County Community Planning: Resources for the Community

--December 19: Drilling and Pipeline Cuttings Reclamation

Registration for the webinars is not necessary, and all are welcome to participate by logging in here. For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email to cal24@psu.edu.

Webinar Archive

Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension natural gas website, covering a variety of topics such as the volume of gas in shale formations under Pennsylvania; Act 13; seismic testing; air pollution from gas development; water use and quality; natural gas liquids regional development; royalties; gas-leasing considerations for landowners; gas pipelines and right-of-way issues; legal issues surrounding gas development; and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.

9/16/2013