Charts and Data
 
The Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative was formed to monitor employment trends, tax policy, economic development, and the community impacts of energy extraction in the Marcellus and Utica Shale. The Collaborative plans to release its first report tracking shale-related employment trends in member states in November 2013. Read more about the project.

Below is a collection of charts and data that researchers with the five states have gathered related to shale development. Click on the charts for a larger view.

Resource Extraction Highly Sensitive to Price

Gas and oil development in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia was largely fueled by sharply rising commodity prices during 2000-2010. As natural gas prices have declined beginning in 2009, gas drilling activity has slowed and the search for shale oil, which has a much higher price, has intensified.

Natural Gas Prices
Source. U.S. Energy Information Administration

Companies switch from drilling natural gas to oil
Source. U.S. Energy Information Administration

Drilling for Oil
Source. U.S. Energy Information Administration

Shale-related Job Growth Has Slowed Recently

In 2012, the number of new wells drilled in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia fell as falling natural gas prices led to drilling companies to curtail the development of new wells. This chart presents the change in shale-related employment from the first quarter of each year to illustrate that as new drilling has slowed so has shale-related job growth.

Shale Employment

Pennsylvania

Sources. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Baker Hughes. 2013 rig data represents the average in the first half of the year.

90% of Pennsylvania Natural Gas Now Comes from Shale
Sources. U.S. Energy Information Administration (2000-2011), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (2012)

West Virginia

West Virginia Shale Drilling Activity Peaked in 2008, Permit Applications on Upswing
Sources. West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and Baker Hughes. 2013 rig data represents the average in the first half of the year.

Shale Accounts for 63% of Natural Gas Produced in West Virginia in 2012
Sources. U.S. Energy Information Administration (1990-2011), West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (2012)

Ohio

Ohio Shale Activity Ramping Up- Few Producing Wells through 2012
Sources. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Baker Hughes. 2013 permit and well data as of July 12, 2013. 2013 operating rigs is the average over the first half of the year.

Shale Gas Production Just Emerging in Ohio as Conventional Gas Production Declines
Source. U.S. Energy Information Administration (1990-2011), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (2012)

Shale Oil Accounted for 13% of Total Ohio Oil Production in 2012. Production Still Only Half of What was Produced in 1990.
Source. U.S. Energy Information Administration (1990-2011), Ohio Department of Natural Resources (2012)

Virginia

  • To date, little activity has occurred in Virginia’s share of the shale.

New York

  • To date, 22 Marcellus Shale wells have been drilled in New York.
  • Six wells are actively producing.
  • Total of 184 permit applications have been submitted to New York Department of Environmental Conservation with Marcellus Shale as target formation.
  • MORATORIUM on new permits since 2008.