Top Unconventional Gas Research Projects, International Perspectives Will Be Featured at GTI’s “Shale Exchange”

The Shale Exchange, a global conference held in Pittsburgh, will highlight research on shale well efficiency and sustainability with its Technological Innovation Forum, featuring presentations on Gas Technology Institute (GTI)’s Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS)and West Virginia University (WVU)’s Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL). European and other global representatives will also speak, including keynote presenter Paul Doucette, Operating Agent for the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s Gas and Oil Technologies (GOT) Implementing Agreement and GE’s Oil & Gas Center.

The Shale Exchange, sponsored by GTI, and now in its third year, will take place October 5-6, 2016 at the University of Pittsburgh University Club in Pittsburgh, PA. The conference offers presentations and panel sessions, a visit to Universal Well Services for an overview of drilling equipment, and a full-day tour of an active EQT well site. EQT has been one of the largest natural gas producers in the Appalachian Basin for nearly 130 years.

HFTS and MSEEL presentations will provide attendees with an overview of two world-class field-based research projects, according to Kent Perry, executive director of research and development at GTI. The U.S. DOE/industry-sponsored experiments will address issues associated with hydraulic fracturing effectiveness and the environmental impact of the process. International participation will also be at an all-time high for the event, says Shale Exchange founder Patrick Findle, senior program manager at GTI: "We'll have speakers and delegates from around the world—Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina will all be represented."

One group with a strong interest in the conference is the M4ShaleGas Consortium, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program. The group led by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) will provide an update on M4ShaleGas work that looks at measuring, monitoring, mitigating and managing the environmental impact of shale gas.

"Our objective is to develop science-based best practice recommendations for minimizing the environmental footprint of shale gas exploration in Europe," notes Dr. Holger Cremer, project manager at Geo Energy. "The Shale Exchange, with its international focus, offers an opportunity to meet, collaborate, and exchange ideas with people from across the world. These engagements continue to help us consider different scientific perspectives regarding shale development practices."

More details on the agenda and registration can be found online by visiting www.gastechnology.org/ShaleExchange or following #ShaleExchange.