UB's Department of Geology to Present Public Lecture Series on Marcellus Shale

BUFFALO, N.Y. The University at Buffalo's Department of Geology is holding a series of talks about the gas industry, and unconventional gas drilling or hydraulic fracturing and its relationship to the economy and environment of New York State.

The lectures, which are free and open to the public, will be held at 8 p.m. each Thursday from March 31 to May 19 in Room 250, Baird Hall on UB's North Campus. To register, go to https://www.ubevents.org/event/marcellus

UB geology department chair and professor Marcus Bursik, PhD, in the College of Arts and Sciences, says that the goal is to bring to UB experts in different aspects of the oil and gas industry globally, and the unconventional gas industry in New York State.

"This series is designed to get some traction for our students in a field that is a major part of geology," says Bursik, noting that "almost all of the department's graduates" pursue careers in oil and gas exploration or environmental consulting. "At the same time, it's an opportunity to let the public know about the actual exploration and production of energy resources in New York," he says. "The series will inform attendees about how geologists explore for resources, how companies get rights to the resources, how gas resources are drilled, fracked, and distributed and what legal, environmental and regulatory issues are involved."

The following is a list of lectures, dates and speakers:

-- "Natural Gas and the Energy Future of the U.S.," March 31 by Rayola Dougher, senior economic advisor of the American Petroleum Institute;

--"Geology of the Black Shales of New York," April 7 by Langhorne Smith, the New York State Geologist with the New York State Museum;

--"Land Leasing and Property Rights," April 14 by Michael Joy, partner at Biltekoff & Joy, LLC, and adjunct faculty member in the UB Law School;

--"Permitting and Regulation," April 21 by Greg Sovas, president of XRM Consulting and former director of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Mineral Resources;

--"Drilling and Fracking," April 28 by Rich Nyahay, vice president of geological exploration for Gastem, an oil and gas exploration company based in Quebec;

--"Production, Pipelining and Long-Term Build-out," May 5 by Gary Marachiori, vice president of Constellation New Energy, based in Baltimore;

--"Completion," May 12 by Roger Willis, chief executive officer of Universal Well Services, a provider of hydraulic fracturing, cementing, nitrogen and acidizing services in the Appalachian Basin;

--"Energy and the Environment: Gas and the Green Earth," May 19 by John Martin, former senior project manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

For further information about the series, please contact Dr. Bursik at 645-4265.