Petroleum and the Environment — a new publication from the American Geosciences Institute

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has released a new publication, Petroleum and the Environment to provide an accessible and information-rich overview of the many intersections between oil and gas operations and the environment.

This publication provides a completely rewritten and expanded update to the original Petroleum and the Environment, published in 2003 as part of AGI’s Environmental Awareness Series. Much has changed since then, with advances in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and horizontal drilling leading to a huge increase in oil and gas production in many parts of the United States. This growth came with new environmental challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties. But with variably rapid changes in technology, scientific understanding, regulation, and industry practices, sources of reliable information on these developments have been hard to come by.

Taking the form of 24 standalone but complementary factsheets and case studies, Petroleum and the Environment provides a coherent, impartial look at the range of environmental questions relating to oil and gas operations in 2018. Particular emphasis is placed on the current scientific understanding of each topic, as well as technological developments, regulations, sources of uncertainty, effective mitigation strategies, and areas of particular concern or progress. Just as importantly, Petroleum and the Environment contains a rich bibliography of primary data sources, high-quality analyses, regulatory information, and much more, allowing interested readers to pursue any topic to their own satisfaction.

Petroleum and the Environment draws from geoscience, engineering, public health, economics, law, and many other disciplines to highlight a common theme: informed decision-making requires access to reliable information from a wide range of sources. By bringing these sources together in one place, Petroleum and the Environment provides this information, and the means to acquire more, to the general public, educators, and policy makers.

This publication is a product of AGI’s Critical Issues Program, and was supported by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation and AGI’s Center for Geoscience & Society.