在經(jīng)歷了10年的緩慢增長(zhǎng)之后，美國(guó)的天然氣產(chǎn)量從2007年到2013年增長(zhǎng)了25%以上（Hausman和Kellogg，2015年）。馬塞勒斯頁(yè)巖延伸至賓夕法尼亞州、西弗吉尼亞州、紐約州、俄亥俄州和馬里蘭州，是按探明儲(chǔ)量估算排名的美國(guó)最大的天然氣油田（美國(guó)能源信息管理局，2015b）。賓夕法尼亞州、俄亥俄州和西弗吉尼亞州豐富的化石燃料資源長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)塑造了三州的經(jīng)濟(jì)。水平鉆井和水力壓裂相結(jié)合，從尤蒂卡頁(yè)巖和馬塞勒斯頁(yè)巖開(kāi)采天然氣，導(dǎo)致了天然氣開(kāi)采行業(yè)的蓬勃發(fā)展。

Following a decade of little growth, natural gas production in the United States grew by more than 25 percent from 2007 to 2013 (Hausman and Kellogg, 2015). T e Marcellus Shale, which extends under Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Ohio, and Maryland, is the largest U.S. gas f eld ranked by estimated proved reserves (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2015b). Pennsylvania’s, Ohio’s, and West Virginia’s abundant fossil fuel resources have long shaped the tristate’s economy. T e combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing1 to tap natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shales has resulted in a burgeoning natural gas extraction industry.