Assistant Professor Matthew Fry recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how drilling ordinances are informed and implemented in cities across Texas, the world's largest producer of shale gas. The project, "A Spatial Analysis of the Determinants of Setback Distance Variation Between Shale Gas Wells and Residences" will be conducted in collaboration with Professor Christian Brannstrom from the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University. The work builds on earlier research that examined municipal gas well ordinances in Denton County and the relationship between urban water consumption and shale gas drilling in DFW (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es302472).

Figure 1. An active gas well near a residential neighborhood in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. The closest house is 600 feet from the well.

The main objective of the study is to understand how cities in Texas regulate the placement of drilling rigs, specifically the distance between gas wells and residences (Fig. 1). Texas has three major shale gas deposits. In some areas, the deposits underlie cities (Fig. 2). Although the Railroad Commission of Texas is responsible for virtually all activities associated with oil and gas exploration, extraction, and production in Texas, cities are also vested with substantial political and legal autonomy to govern local activities and interests, including the setback distances between drill rigs and homes, schools, churches, and businesses. Thus, in terms of gas well distribution in Texas, municipal policies play an important role in the placement of gas wells.

Figure 2. Shale gas deposits in the State of Texas.

To learn more about Dr. Fry's research, visit his webpage at http://geography.unt.edu/~mfry/.

For more information about the NSF award, http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1262521&HistoricalAwards=false