The rapid development of shale gas, due principally to the expansion of hydraulic fracturing, has brought many new regions of the United States into the natural gas supply mix. Regions that have not witnessed significant oil and gas development for decades, such as Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale area, are now experiencing significant development pressure. Even states with a history of oil and gas development, such as Wyoming and Colorado, have experienced significant expansion pressures in new locales where shale gas is now technically and economically accessible.
The sudden discovery of oil and natural gas reserves drove many states and local municipalities to implement new regulations, or modify existing ones, associated with hydraulic fracturing operations. These regulations vary across the country, sometimes quite dramatically, in order to account for, among other things, geological differences in shale plays and public sentiment to the practice.
