New applications of horizontal drilling techniques and hydraulic fracturing, in which water,
sand, and chemical additives are injected under high pressure to create and maintain fractures
in underground formations, allow oil and natural gas from shale formations to be developed. As
exploration and development of shale oil and gas have increased, including in areas of the
country without a history of oil and natural gas development, questions have been raised about
the estimates of the size of these resources, as well as the processes used to extract them. This
book examines the environmental and public health requirements, risks, and size of shale
resources of unconventional oil and gas development.