Water Requirements for Shale 

Gas Activities in the Marcellus 

and Fayetteville Shale

John Veil

Veil Environmental, LLC

john@veilenvironmental.com

410-212-0950
Statistics on Water Requirements for Marcellus Shale

 Make estimate of maximum volume of water needed to meet 

Marcellus Shale fraccing needs

– Estimate volume of water per well

– Estimate maximum number of wells in a year
Pennsylvania Drilling Permits and Wells Drilled

Year Marcellus Shale 

Drilling Permits 

Issued

Marcellus Shale 

Wells Drilled

2007 99 18 (July –

December)

2008 519 196

2009 1,985 763

2010 1,398 (January –

June)

564 (January - June)

Source: PA 

DEP website

 the number of wells actually drilled during the first six months of 2010 can 

be doubled to estimate a full year (1,128). 

 The ratio of 2010 extrapolated drilled wells to 2009 drilled wells (1,128 to 

763) = 1.48. 

 Assuming the same 48% increase over the 2010 estimate for future 

growth, a hypothetical maximum is 1,128 x 1.48 = 1 ,669 wells. 
West Virginia Drilling Permits and Wells Drilled

Year Marcellus Shale Drilling 

Permits Issued

Marcellus Shale Wells 

Drilled

2007 152 143

2008 400 274

2009 424 47

2010 176 (January – June) 1 (January – June)

Source: WV DEP website

 The ratio of drilled wells to drilling permits was 95% in 2007 and 69% in 2008. 

 Applying the 2008 ratio to the total number of drilling permits in 2009 (0.69 x 

424) gives an estimated hypothetical maximum of 293 wells. 
New York Drilling Permits and Wells Drilled

 New York has moratorium on Marcellus Shale wells

 No good way to predict maximum number of wells

 Chose to estimate maximum New York wells to be the same as maximum 

West Virginia wells = 293 wells

Year Total Drilling Permits Issued (not 

necessarily Marcellus Shale)

Total Wells 

Drilled

2008 744 ??

2009 552 ??

2010 302 (January – August) ??

Source: presentation made by Jack Dahl, NY DEC, August 24, 2010
Hypothetical Maximum Water Demand for Marcellus

State Hypothetical 

Maximum 

Number of 

Wells Drilled 

in a Year

Annual Volume 

under Scenario 

1: 1 MG of 

water needed 

per well

Annual Volume 

under Scenario 

2: 2.8 MG of 

water needed 

per well

Annual Volume 

under Scenario 

3: 3.9 MG of 

water needed 

per well

Annual Volume 

under Scenario 

4: 5 MG of 

water needed 

per well

PA 1,669 1,669 MG 4,673 MG 6,509 MG 8,345 MG

WV 293 293 MG 820 MG 1,142 MG 1,465 MG

NY 293 293 MG 820 MG 1,142 MG 1,465 MG

Total 2,255 2,255 MG 6,314 MG 8,795 MG 11,275 MG

 Caveats

– estimates of maximum wells drilled could significantly overestimate or 

underestimate the actual quantity

– assumed maximum number in one state will not necessarily correspond to the 

maximum in each of the other states

– As gas companies refine and improve their efforts to recycle and reuse flowback 

and produced water from wells already fracced, the water needed per well may 

decrease

– if operators drill longer horizontal wells with more frac stages, the volume per well 

could increase
Actual Water Withdrawals for 2005 (in MGD)

Category New York Pennsylvania West Virginia Total

Public Supply 2,530 1,420 189 4,139

Domestic 140 152 34 326

Irrigation 51 24 <1 75

Livestock 30 62 5 97

Aquaculture 63 524 53 640

Industrial 301 770 966 2,037

Mining 33 96 14 143

Thermoelectric 7,140 6,430 3,550 17,120

Total

10,288 9,478 4,811 24,577

Source: USGS report (Kenny et al. 2009) 
Comparison of Marcellus Shale Water Needs with Actual 

Withdrawal

Volume Percentage Water 

Required for Shale Gas 

Production Compared to 

Total Withdrawal

Water needed for shale gas 6.2 – 31 MGD 100%

Total water withdrawal 24,577 MGD 0.03% – 0.13%

Total water withdrawal 

excluding thermoelectric uses

7,457 MGD 0.08% – 0.42%
Arkansas Completions in the Fayetteville Shale

Year Fayetteville Shale Completions

2007 411

2008 683

2009 839

2010 728 (January – October)

2010 – extrapolated to full year 874

Source: AR 

O&G 

Commission 

website

 Assume 1,000 wells. 
Actual Water Withdrawals for 2005 (in MGD)

Category Arkansas

Public Supply 266

Domestic 0

Irrigation 1,510

Livestock 23.3

Aquaculture 10.6

Industrial 113

Mining 1

Thermoelectric 2,000

Total

3,920

Source: USGS report (Kenny et al. 2009) 
Comparison of Fayetteville Shale Water Needs with 

Actual Withdrawal

Volume Percentage Water 

Required for Shale Gas 

Production Compared to 

Total Withdrawal

Water needed for shale gas 

(assume 5 MG/well)

13.7 MGD 100%

Total water withdrawal 3,920 MGD 0.35%