Marcellus Shale Potential 

The potential of the Marcellus Shale has not been realized – Pennsylvania is only in the infancy of the exploration and development process. Economic studies will be completed in early 2009 that will provide additional insight into projected future growth and benefits that can accrue across the state. A smaller-scale comparison can be offered in a review of the recent experience in north Texas, where the Barnett Shale formation has been undergoing development for a little over a decade. The Barnett formation, at 5,000 square miles, pales in comparison to the size and potential of the Marcellus Shale formation, which extends 95,000 square miles and includes approximately 60 percent of Pennsylvania’s land mass. A recent evaluation of economic activity in the Barnett Shale region found the following:

• A total of 55,000 people are directly employed in the exploration and production of natural gas
• An additional 108,000 jobs support those direct workers in a full spectrum of employment sectors
• The gas industry contributes more than $10 billion to the region’s economy each year

With a land area spanning three states and almost 20 times the size of the five-county Barnett region, the Marcellus Shale provides an unparalleled economic opportunity for Pennsylvania.