Eckenfelder Lecture Series at Pitt to focus on Marcellus Shale gas drilling

PITTSBURGH (November 2, 2011) … The Center for Energy, the Wesley Eckenfelder Foundation, and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers will present "Mitigating Environmental Effects from Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling Operations" as part of the Eckenfelder Lecture Series on Monday, November 7 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the University Club Ballroom B, University of Pittsburgh.

The lectures are free to Pitt students and faculty.  Members of the public wishing to participate in the event must register by emailing monbell@pitt.edu .

The lecture will feature leading industry experts including keynote speakers Dr. Radisav Vidic, William Kepler Whiteford Professor and Chair, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh; and Dr. Davis L. Ford, President, Davis L. Ford & Associates and Chairman, Technical Advisory Committee Refinery Water Engineering & Associates (RWEA). 

Lecture sessions include:

Morning Theme - "Industry / Government Experience." Session Chair David Kujawski, Vice President, Refinery Water Engineering & Associates

· Keynote: Dr. Davis Ford, President, Davis L. Ford & Associates and Chairman of Technical Advisory Committee, Refinery Water Engineering & Associates. "Hydraulic Fracturing Environmental Considerations in the US," 10:00 to 10:45 a.m.

· Dave Kern, Area Manager, Kroff Well Services, Inc."Development of Frac Fluid Designs and Flowback Remediation Strategies for Reuse," 10:45 to 11:10 a.m.

· James Ammer, Director of the Natural Gas & Oil Project Management Division, National Energy Technology Laboratory , DOE. "Supported Research and Advances Related to Marcellus and Other Shale Gas Production," 11:10 to 11:35 a.m.

· David Overstreet, Esq. and Partner, K&L Gates."Environmental Management Issues - Legal and Regulatory Lessons from Recent U.S. Shale Gas Plays," 11:35 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Refreshment break sponsored by the Center for Energy, University of Pittsburgh

Afternoon Theme - "Related Research at the University of Pittsburgh." Session Chair Donald Shields, Executive Director, Center for Energy , University of Pittsburgh

· Keynote:Dr. Radisav Vidic , William Kepler Whiteford Professor and Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. "Sustainable Water Management in Marcellus Shale," 1:00 to 1:45 p.m.

· Dr. Julie Vandenbossche , Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. "Ensuring the Integrity of Wellbore Cement Annulus," 1:45 to 2:00 p.m.

· Dr. Anthony Iannacchione , Associate Professor and Director of the Mining Engineering Program, University of Pittsburgh. "Potential of the Pittsburgh Coal Mine Pool as a Source of Industrial Water for Marcellus Hydraulic Fracturing," 2:00 to 2:15 p.m.

· Dr. Piervincenzo Rizzo , Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. "Inspection of Well-Pipes Used in Unconventional Gas Sites," 2:15 to 2:30 p.m.

· Dr. Jason Monnell, Research Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. "'Rethinking Waste - Are There Beneficial Re-Uses for Flowback Water and its Constituents?" 2:30 to 2:45 p.m.

· Dr. Melissa Bilec , Assistant Professor and Assistant Director for Education & Outreach, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation , University of Pittsburgh. "Life Cycle Issues Related to Marcellus Shale," 2:45 to 3:00 p.m.

About the Center for Energy

The Center for Energy, housed in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, is dedicated to improving energy technology development and sustainability, including energy efficiency, advanced materials for demanding energy technologies, carbon management, and energy diversification. Areas of research range from clean coal technologies to harnessing solar energy, and include subjects as diverse as synthetic and biomass-derived fuels, gas hydrates, high-temperature coatings, and fuel cells. The Center builds upon its research capabilities with additional thrusts in education including the development and delivery of graduate and undergraduate courses in nuclear power, power transmission, and mining engineering. The Center also works with private-sector partners to develop solutions and to create new jobs in research, manufacturing, technology, and other sectors, making southwestern Pennsylvania a hub for energy innovation.

###