Joint US-UK Workshop on Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas Production

Date: November 5-6 2015
Arlington, Virginia, USA.

Workshop Final Report: (pdf)

Purpose and Scope of the WorkShop : 

The US and UK organized the joint workshop on environmental impacts of unconventional oil and gas development to share experiences and what gaps need to be addressed for a complete understanding, especially in the UK. The US has been employing hydraulic fracturing and related technologies to exploit oil and gas resources for several decades and evaluating the associated environmental hazards and risks has been part of the planning and implementation process. Considerable insights have been gained regarding environmental concerns, and research is ongoing to better understand and mitigate adverse effects.
Research and knowledge gaps may be in terms of a need for discovery research (pure or basic research aimed at acquiring new knowledge about the natural world), applied research (more goal directed and aimed at achieving specific objectives and outcomes) or translational research (aiming to bridge discovery and applied research – i.e. research carried out with the expectation that it will produce a base of knowledge likely to form the background to the solution of current or future problems or possibilities). These gaps may be addressed by new fundamental research, or through innovative application and translation of existing science outputs (data, knowledge and skills) where available.
Compared with the US, the UK is at a much earlier stage of the process in evaluating the impacts of the potential extraction of oil and gas energy resources by unconventional means. There is a commercial desire to develop these resources in the UK, although only a very small number of basins have been identified as targeted shale reservoirs. The joint US-UK workshop was designed to provide an opportunity for the UK to learn from the considerable US experience, and in particular to understand the measures that are being put in place to avoid adverse environmental impacts, engage with communities, monitor the environment for adverse impacts, and initiate remedial actions. The workshop provided the US participants with perspective and insight from the emerging UK experience and industry regulation, as well as from other US attendees.
The scope of the workshop focused on oil and gas extraction that uses hydraulic fracturing and related technologies as the primary method for increasing permeability, and hydraulic permeability enhancement for shale and other tight formations, both on shore and off shore. Topics not addressed include flooding of conventional reservoirs, underground coal gasification, coalbed methane, and issues related to processing hydrocarbons or transporting hydrocarbon products outside of the area of their production.Tordinated, convergent international research agenda to address the needs of small- to mid-size urban communities.

Workshop Final Report: (pdf)