Joint US-UK Workshop on Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas Production

1546420Reible该项目的目标是组织、开展和记录一次研讨会，重点关注安全和适合环境的水力压裂实施的研究需求，并帮助将在美国学到的经验教训转化为英国。水力压裂给美国的石油和天然气生产带来了革命性的变化，但也带来了一些负面的环境后果。造成水力压裂生产石油和天然气的环境足迹的原因包括：水力压裂对水供应的影响、对地表水和地下水质量潜在影响的担忧、生产和使用生产燃料过程中温室气体排放量的增加、采出水处理造成的地震活动以及一些地区石油和天然气活动迅速增加对社区的影响。研讨会将探讨对这些挑战的了解现状，以及更好地了解这些影响和如何管理这些影响的研究需求和机会。研讨会的目标是开发一个连贯的研究框架，以克服水力压裂对石油和天然气带来的基础设施、技术和社会挑战，特别是帮助管理英国扩大使用水力压裂和增加石油和天然气活动的潜在后果。研讨会将吸引来自美国和英国的与会者，以了解当前的活动及其与英国的相关性。美国正在经历的冲突、机遇和取舍可能预示着英国可能面临的情况，但关键的差异也可能存在，研讨会将探索其中的相似和差异。预计研讨会将对系统研究挑战做出明确定义，这些挑战对美国和英国水力压裂的经济和社会活力至关重要。此次研讨会的时间安排的一个特别优势是，能够在美国近十年的经验基础上，确定将水力压裂的环境足迹降至最低的剩余科学和技术挑战。研讨会的一个目标是促进形成能够应对这些研究挑战的学术-政府伙伴关系。研讨会将最终形成白皮书，定义和分析美国和英国在创新水力压裂在石油和天然气开发中的环境可持续应用所需的科学、技术和社会经济研究差距。特别要注意了解对以前很少开发石油和天然气的城市和人口密集的农村地区的潜在影响，以及这种开发可能造成的独特环境后果。同样令人特别感兴趣的是代表不足的群体，他们可能认为水力压裂的直接好处很少，而且成本和环境影响不成比例。

1546420ReibleThe objective of the project is to organize, conduct and document a workshop focused on research needs for the safe and environmentally appropriate implementation of hydraulic fracturing and to help translate the lessons learned in the US to the UK. Hydraulic fracturing has revolutionized oil and gas production in the United States but with some negative environmental consequences. Contributing to the environmental footprint of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas production are the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water availability, concerns for potential impacts on surface and ground water quality, increased greenhouse gas emissions during production and use of the produced fuels, seismic activity as a result of produced water disposal and community impacts due to rapid growth in oil and gas activity in some areas. The workshop will explore the current state of understanding of these challenges, and research needs and opportunities to better understand these impacts and how to manage them.The goal of the workshop is to develop a coherent research framework to overcome infrastructure, technical, and societal challenges posed by hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas and particularly to help manage the potential consequences of expanded use of hydraulic fracturing and increased oil and gas activity in the UK. The workshop will draw attendees from the US and the UK to understand both current activities and their relevance to the UK. The conflicts, opportunities and trade-offs being experienced in the US are likely to foretell what the UK is likely to face but critical differences are also likely and the workshop will explore both the similarities and the differences. The workshop is expected to lead to a clear definition of system research challenges that are critical to the economic and social vitality of hydraulic fracturing in the US and the UK. A particular advantage of the timing of this workshop is the ability to build upon almost a decade of experiences in the US and identify the remaining scientific and technological challenges to minimizing the environmental footprint of hydraulic fracturing. A goal of the workshop is to catalyze the formation of academic-government partnerships that are able to address these research challenges. The workshop will culminate in white papers that define and analyze scientific, technical and socio-economic research gaps needed for innovating the environmentally sustainable application of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas development both in the US and the UK. Particular attention is directed to understanding the potential impacts on urban and high density rural areas that have previously faced little oil and gas development and the unique environmental consequences that might be posed by such development. Also of particular interest is under-represented groups that may perceive little direct benefit of hydraulic fracturing and a disproportionate cost and environmental impact.