The safe development of American shale gas continues to shatter records. And thanks to tightly-regulated shale production, “U.S. manufacturers have been moving their work back home from overseas,” boosting job creation across the country, especially for steel manufacturers. Shale is also “helping the U.S. economy to pull out of the doldrums,” and is likewise providing a critical boost to consumers, “since stepped-up natural gas production kept heating bills lower during the cold winter.”
These messages, along with many others – strengthened American energy security, environmental stewardship, local job creation – were the focus of last week’s Pennsylvania Jobs, Pennsylvania Energy rally in Harrisburg, which was an historic event in its own right [watch this video to learn more about the event].
Here’s a look at these shared, broad-based national and regional benefits — by the numbers:
| U.S. trade deficit drops 3.6 percent in March | Many economists expect the trade deficit will keep narrowing this year as exports, helped by an energy production boom in the United States, grow faster than imports. A domestic energy boom has boosted exports and reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil. (Associated Press, 5/6/14) |
| $118,000 in impact fees to Cumberland Co.’s Land Partnerships Grant Program | Cumberland County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to distribute an expected $118,000 of the county’s share of this year’s Marcellus Shale drilling impact fees to Cumberland County’s Land Partnerships Grant Program. The money will be passed on to municipalities and conservation groups to fund green projects. Cumberland County Greenway and Open Spaces coordinator Stephanie Williams told commissioners that Cumberland County is expected to receive about $218,000 this year of an expected $23 million in impact fees to be distributed to counties throughout the commonwealth. (PennLive, 5/12/14) |
| Erie Co.’s bridge program has received $800,000 in Marcellus Shale funding | The Marcellus Shale is bankrolling bridge repairs in Erie County this summer. A one-time fee on oil and gas wells drilled into the shale will pay half of the estimated cost to repair and reopen the Union-LeBoeuf Road bridge near Union City and to repair twin culverts on Oliver Road in McKean Twp. this summer. … The drilling fee revenues are shared by each of the state’s 67 counties based on population and Marcellus drilling activity. In Erie County, the money will fund greenways and bridge improvements. Erie County’s bridge program so far has received almost $800,000 in Marcellus funding. (Erie News-Times, 5/12/14) |
| $7.8 million in shale impact fee tax revenues to support Pa.’s Growing Greener program | Act 13 impact fee revenues are expected to provide more than $7.8 million into the Environmental Stewardship Fund to support the Growing Greener program. … The infusion of impact fee revenues restores funding levels to where they stood before the fund was obligated to pay debt service on the bond issues. (Pa. DEP release, 5/13/14) |
| 6.48 million cubic feet/day | The trend toward more efficient rigs also is evident in the nation’s most prolific natural gas fields. Total natural gas production in the six regions — home to all of the nation’s natural gas growth — is expected to grow to 39.3 Bcf/d in June, an increase of 480 Mcf/d compared to May. In the nation’s largest natural gas region, the Marcellus Shale, each rig produced an average of 6.48 Mcf/d in May, an increase of 40,000 cf/d compared to April. (Houston Chronicle, 5/12/14) |
| 254 million cubic feet/day month over month | According to U.S. EIA’s May drilling productivity report, Marcellus Shale production grew by 254 million cubic feet/day month over month.  |
| 67.3 Bcf/d of gas produced on avg. in April | The month of April 2014 is now the most prolific natural gas producing month in U.S. history, according to the latest estimates from Bentek Energy. Production for the lower 48 U.S. states last month averaged 67.3 billion cubic feet per day, about 0.5 Bcf/d higher than March 2014 production levels of 66.8 Bcf/d. … Average April 2014 gas production was up 2.7 Bcf/d or 4.2% from April 2013 levels. April 2014 is the highest natural gas producing month on record since March 2014, followed by November 2013 when production averaged 66.6 Bcf/d. (Platts, 5/9/14) |
