Important New PA Marcellus Shale Database Public Soon

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Staffers at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve say they have assembled the most accurate database of Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania, having worked on it for the past 10 months. However, they aren’t releasing their results to the public. Not yet at least.

Because of the heavy volume of permitting and drilling activity in PA over the past several years, it’s well known that the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) data is not 100 percent accurate. Powdermill sought to create a database that was as close to 100 percent as possible and believe they have achieved it.

In the aggregate, here’s the numbers they are reporting:

After analyzing all of the data, Powdermill believes that since 2000, the state has permitted 9,848 Marcellus Shale wells, of which 6,391 are either drilled and/or producing. There are currently 2,457 active permits that could eventually be drilled. Another 349 wells have either been abandoned, plugged, declared inactive, shut-in or their status is unknown.*

When will the data become available to the public? Hopefully within a month or so:

Powdermill is allowing only known researchers or government officials to use the well database. By the end of June, it hopes to have it link through the natural history museum’s website so the public can use it, too.*

We eagerly anticipate being able to use it!

*Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (May 25, 2012) – Powdermill compiles list of Pa. shale wells

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