During the July Interim meetings, the Joint Select Committee on Marcellus Shale conducted two extensive hearings regarding the implications, the economies and the effects of horizontal drilling of natural gas within the Mountain State.
An in-depth explanation of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology was provided by the Professor and Chair of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering Department from West Virginia University. West Virginia’s Deputy Tax Commissioner addressed the growth of Marcellus Shale development on the state’s severance and property taxes; while a spokespeople for the WV Environmental Council and the WV Surface Right Organization provided perspective from their vantage points.
The Joint Committee on Marcellus Shale is expecting to conduct three, 2 hour meetings during the August Interims (Aug. 1-3) to tackle a legislative draft proposal regarding the overall production process utilized via natural gas horizontal wells.
