Strengthening Communities
Through the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs across the Commonwealth, billions of dollars in landowner payments, and billions more in economic development and state and local tax revenues, the Marcellus Shale will benefit all Pennsylvanians. And, because this and other shale gas fields are being developed across the country, natural gas prices should remain predictable and reasonable for years to come.
A Similar Success Story
If all of this sounds too good to be true, consider what the Barnett Shale did for northeast Texas. At its peak, the Barnett Shale created more than 132,000 jobs in just a few years and provided an annual economic impact of $13.7 billion to the state of Texas. Even with a sluggish economy and new gas fields being discovered and developed across the country, the Barnett Shale continues to fuel Fort Worth's economy. The Marcellus Shale is still in the early stages of development, but we do know that it's a much larger formation, and many of the wells already drilled here are very promising. Most experts believe the Marcellus could be among the largest known natural gas fields in the world.