The Energy and Environment Program of the Atlantic Council, with the support and guidance of the US State Department and Department of Energy is organizing a series of workshops to update European governments and non-governmental thought leaders on the progress that is being made in resolving many of the technical, environmental, and social issues related to unconventional gas production in order to provide a realistic assessment of the challenges remaining and the necessity for additional industry specific regulations.

An initial workshop to update a mainly European audience was held on January 25, 2011 at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC. The workshop drew on the experience of North American companies, non-governmental organizations, and government officials to identify the most recent knowledge on the technical, environmental and political challenges associate with unconventional gas production.

The January workshop will be followed with a March 14th meeting in Brussels involving a similar set of expert presentations that would involve industry participants and policy makers from the European Commission, National governments, and European think tanks

With the growing realization that substantial unconventional gas resources have the potential to play a major role in supplementing conventional gas resources in many countries, it has become important to consider the prospects, challenges and regulations necessary to ensure the safe and environmentally sound development of such resources. This will be critical to creating supply options in many countries facing growing energy requirements and tightening supplies of conventional gas supplies. . In the United States it took over a decade to develop the technology to support the dramatic growth in unconventional gas production. With the benefit of North American experience, developments in Europe have the potential to move faster. However, this potential will only be realized if particular attention is given to the challenges associated with creating the regulatory frameworks that will be necessary to responsibly develop unconventional resources.

Presentations (PDF):

Session 1:

• Valerie Jochen, Schlumberger

Session 2:

• Michael Schaal, Energy Information Administration
• Vello Kuuskraa, Advanced Resources International

Session 3:

• Mike Moore, Blue Source
• Sally Kornfeld, U.S. Department of Energy
• Jim Bolander, Southwestern Energy
• Scott Kell, Ground Water Protection Council

Session 4:

• Mark Boling, Southwestern Energy
• Kate Sinding, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Nick Douglas, Bureau of Land Management
• Chitra Kumar, Environmental Protection Agency