Drilling and development of the oil and natural gas industries in the United States has been a common event since the late 1800s through the present across the country.  Most recently with advances in technology for horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, development and extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation is occurring.  The largest Marcellus Shale formation in the United States spans areas of West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York.  In the Southern Alleghenies Region, Cambria and Somerset Counties overlay the Marcellus Shale layer.  To lesser degrees, Blair, Bedford, Fulton, and Huntingdon Counties overlay Marcellus Shale.  All six counties overlay the Utica Shale layer, a much deeper layer beneath the Marcellus Shale.  In the last two years significant drilling and development of the Marcellus Shale has taken place in the counties to the north and west of the Southern Alleghenies Region.  Numerous drilling operations are now occurring in Cambria and Somerset Counties with initial activity in Bedford, Blair, Fulton, and Huntingdon Counties.

The state's northern tier counties with the Marcellus Shale development are experiencing dramatic impacts in county services, infrastructure, transportation, local economy, employment, housing, education, and land use.  To provide useful information for municipalities, citizens, and land owners in the Southern Alleghenies, SAP&DC is providing Marcellus Shale information on our website.  This information includes Internet links, informational documents, and mapping found on this page and in the Document section below that can be downloaded.  If you have questions or need further information on Marcellus Shale contact Chris Roland, Regional Energy Coordinator.

Internet LInks

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Oil & Gas Management website

Pennsylvania State University Natural Gas Web Site and E-Newsletter http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/oilandgas/marcellus.aspx

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcellus_Shale