By Samuel Root, Geology Professor Emeritus
College of Wooster
For the past 150 years the USA has been pumping oil to fuel an industrial society based on cheap, abundant energy. We have depleted that energy source and have gone from a nation that has been the largest oil producer and even largest oil exporter to a nation that is the world’s largest oil importer. We now import 10 million barrels of oil each day and that amount will increase as our domestic reserves diminish. At $100/barrel that is $1billion/day–more than $350 billion yearly that our country pays for imports; much to countries that are not our allies.
The price will surely increase as we compete globally with other nations that lack large domestic oil reserves. This makes the need to develop shale gas as an alternative energy source a national imperative. Although abundant, gas will only partially alleviate our energy problems. Its use may give the nation time to develop a national energy policy.
Although there may be environmental problems associated with producing shale gas it must be understood that the technique of hydraulic fracturing of rock (fracking) does not permit fluids to escape to the surface. Problems are associated mostly with careless handling of fluids at the well site or poor cementing of surface pipe that isolates ground water from the well. This can be reduced by proper supervision and procedure. We can safely and profitably produce shale gas. My major concern is whether or not we can produce the large amounts necessary for it to be profitable.
