Canada has tremendous potential to produce
oil and gas from shale using hydraulic fracturing.
The US Energy Information Agency (EIA) places
Canada in the top 10 countries based on technically
recoverable shale oil and gas resources
(EIA, 2013).1
Also, natural gas consumption, particularly
for electricity generation, is expected
to grow considerably in the future (EIA, 2015). In
the face of such trends, development of Canada’s
shale gas could generate significant wealth, employment,
and prosperity for Canadians.
As with other methods of hydrocarbon extraction (or any extractive activity for that matter), hydraulic fracturing is not without risks. Late in 2014, we published a study that summarized what was then known about the risks of hydraulic fracturing, and examined what additional measures might help to further mitigate those risks (Green, 2014). To avoid charges of cherry-picking individual studies that might be non-representative of the broader literature on hydraulic fracturing, we focused on the findings of large, government empaneled review organizations, and review articles published in top ranking journals such as Science. Further, as hydraulic fracturing practices in Canada are somewhat different than those employed in the United States and elsewhere, where possible, we gave preference to Canadian sources, particularly an assessment published by the Canadian Council of Academies in 2014. The documents we reviewed in 2014 included:
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| Hydraulic fracturing |
As with other methods of hydrocarbon extraction (or any extractive activity for that matter), hydraulic fracturing is not without risks. Late in 2014, we published a study that summarized what was then known about the risks of hydraulic fracturing, and examined what additional measures might help to further mitigate those risks (Green, 2014). To avoid charges of cherry-picking individual studies that might be non-representative of the broader literature on hydraulic fracturing, we focused on the findings of large, government empaneled review organizations, and review articles published in top ranking journals such as Science. Further, as hydraulic fracturing practices in Canada are somewhat different than those employed in the United States and elsewhere, where possible, we gave preference to Canadian sources, particularly an assessment published by the Canadian Council of Academies in 2014. The documents we reviewed in 2014 included:
- Australian Council of Learned Academies (2013). Engineering Energy: Unconventional Gas Production—A Study of Shale Gas in Australia.
- Canadian Council of Academies [CCA] (2014). Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in Canada: The Expert Panel on Harnessing Science and Technology to Understand the Environmental Impacts of Shale Gas Extraction.
- Clark, C., A. Burnham, C. Harto, and R. Horner (2013). Hydraulic Fracturing and Shale Gas Production: Technology, Impacts, and Regulations. Argonne National Laboratory.
- National Research Council of the National Academies (2013). Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies.
- NY State Health Department (2011). Well Permit Issuance for Horizontal Drilling and High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing to Develop the Marcellus Shale and Other LowPermeability Gas Reservoirs.
- Quebec, Government of (2014). Strategic Environmental Assessment on Shale Gas: Knowledge Gained and Principal Findings.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] (2014). Natural Gas Extraction—Hydraulic Fracturing.
- Vidic, R.D., S.L. Brantley, J.M. Vandenbossche, D. Yoxtheimer and J.D. Abad (2013). Impact of Shale Gas Development on Regional Water Quality. Science 340 (May): 1-9.
- Wheeler, David, et al. (2014). Report of the Nova Scotia Independent Review Panel on Hydraulic Fracturing. Subsequent to the publication of the Green (2014) paper, several additional analyses have been published, including some in Canada, and importantly, a long-awaited analysis by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the risks posed to drinking water resources by hydraulic fracturing
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