Project Summary

The aim of the Barnett Shale Case Study is to develop a stronger basis for the advancement of science-based policies for the regulation of shale gas development in Texas and throughout the world.  While findings from this case study may not be universally applicable to other shale plays, researchers believe the methods and approaches employed for this project will be useful in other regions.

The Case Study will address a variety of issues in the following broad topic areas:

•    Water Quality Impacts
•    Source and Quality of Water
•    Water Use Estimates
•    Water Economics
•    Induced Seismic Issues
•    Landscape Issues and Related Impacts
•    Local Government Regulation

Funding for the Barnett Shale Case Study comes from unrestricted gifts to the Energy Institute, along with funds from the Institute’s operational budget. Project donors have no control over how the money is spent or what the outcome of the research will be.

The research team includes representatives from UT Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology, the Jackson School of Geosciences, the Architecture Community and Regional Planning Department and the Institute for Geophsyics, as well as faculty experts from UT Arlington’s Landscape Architecture Department and Texas A&M University’s AgriLife Research Center.