Thousands of PA homeowners have been affected by the "Marcellus Shale Boom" some are out there hoping to get rich from leasing their land to the oil and gas companies, others are terrified that they will lose what is most important to them... but either way, one fact remains true... Drilling for Marcellus Shale has affected 11 counties in the State of Pennsylvania significantly and is not going away anytime soon. 

First and foremost - if you are contemplating selling your land, interested in approaching the oil and gas company or have been approached by a landman -  you should contact a licensed Pennsylvania lawyer, such as Safe Shale Lease to make sure your interests are being protected and that you are getting the best deal... when you come to the table to negotiate, make sure you have the trump card (a licensed PA lawyer)...

So this week, the "Marcellus Shale" news feed has been overcome by articles touting the benefits of drilling... we have heard many of the downfalls but now the benefits seem to be adding up, so we dediced to break them down for you...

• Marcellus Shale is making a positive economic impact at BOTH the state and federal level: Less than 5 years ago most economic experts warned of an ominous shortage of natural gas and the catastrophic effect this shortfall would have in the United States. Now,  TIME Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Farred Zakaria says it best with the title of a recent op-ed peice...  "Natural Gas, Fueling an Economic Revolution".
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has written hundreds of articles on Marcellus Shale and the natural gas boom and often references how this movement has put the State of Pennsylvania on the map internationally. All eyes on Pennsylvania...
• According to polls conducted independently by Harris and Rasmussen in March 2012: The majority of Americans suppport hydraulic fracturing despite public controvery surrounding the process and challenges by the Obama administration.
• You go girl! The Marcellus Shale Boom isn't just for men.. in fact, more than 7500 women work in the marcellus shale oil and gas industry in the State of Pennsylvania.

Looking for more benefits of Marcellus Shale, check out a recent article from NorthCentralPA.com.

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Initial reports indicate that Shell Oil has tentatively chosen to put a new multibillion-dollar petrochemical plant in Pennsylvania to take advantage of an abundance of natural gas from the Marcellus shale. The company said it signed an option on land in Beaver County, which is just northwest of Pittsburgh.

Shell chose the site, as it offers good access to transportation by water, rail and road as well as access to natural gas and gas liquids that the petrochemical complex would use both as a power source and feedstock.

The plant would be one of the first located because of the boom in shale gas production, which has taken place in the past two to three years. Pennsylvania beat out Ohio and West Virginia despite their attempts to charm the company into starting the plant in their states.

Shell said that if the project goes forward, up to 10,000 people would be working on it during construction. Once the plant is operating, it would employ several hundred full-time employees. Although Shell would not say how much it expects to spend building the plant, it said such plants typically cost “several” billion dollars.

For more information check out Washington Post...

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The impact Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling has had on Pennsylvania's economy has been a controversial topic - in fact it has even been the heart of political debates. One report, released on Monday by Wells Fargo economists says the drilling DID have a measurable effect on Pennsylvania's economy in fact, so much so that it could generate more than 200,000 additional jobs by 2020.

Pennsylvania has added 130,000 jobs since employment bottomed out in February 2010, one-third of them in education and health care, said the report by Wells Fargo Securities' economics group. The state's economy is growing faster than it did at any point during the past decade, it said.

Although the natural resources and mining sector employs fewer than 1 percent of the state's workforce, it accounted for 8 percent of recent job growth, the study said.

Employment in the 14 counties where drilling is most prevalent is already above its pre-recession peak, a result the study ties to the economic impact of natural gas drilling. For every percentage point of employment growth in shale counties, employment in Pennsylvania's other counties rises by 0.27 percent, the study found.

The result was surprising at first, said Wells Fargo economist and study co-author Jay Bryson, but the model fits the data and there is considerable anecdotal evidence corroborating the conclusions.

The study calculated optimistic, pessimistic and midpoint scenarios for Pennsylvania employment through 2020. The midpoint scenario predicts employment growth of 570,000 jobs, of which 200,000 can be attributed to the shale industry and its spillover effects.





Click here to read the article at Central Penn Business.

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According to an article in The Standard Speaker, "a new state law that allocates $1 million annually to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission from the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling impact fee doesn't go far enough, according to a local state legislator".
"State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-119, Newport Township, hosted a public meeting about boating and fishing issues Thursday at Crestwood High School.Some residents who attended expressed concerns about the gas drilling and the damage it could cause to lakes, rivers and other water resources.
Mullery said he also is concerned and that's why he supported the law, but feels the $1 million per year for permit reviews falls short".

"The impact fee is too low and in my opinion the environmental protection is nonexistent," Mullery said.

The state representative hopes legislators will use the issue as part of their platform in the next primary, with the environment being the winner.

Read more: http://standardspeaker.com/news/lawmaker-drilling-fee-doesn-t-aid-environment-1.1280844#ixzz1oA4yrePW

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