Sustainable Development of Oil, Gas and Water Resources: A Case for Integrated Resource Management

Hydraulic fracturing, together with horizontal drilling, has changed the energy landscape worldwide. With the explosion of oil and gas resource extraction in unconventional formations in the United States, there is now accelerated activity in China, England, Germany, Poland, Spain and elsewhere. With the expansion of high volume hydraulic fracturing, there have been increasing concerns about its potential impacts on water resources in the vicinity of these operations. A number of detailed studies have been initiated in the past year to evaluate these potential impacts on our water resources. A holistic, integrated management approach should be adopted by states and industry to insure responsible economic development of our energy resources while protecting irreplaceable and finite water resources and minimizing economic and negative social impacts to rural communities. This presentation will summarize how industry, states and the federal government have responded to this energy boom and recommendations regarding a sustainable path forward.