In recent years, the American oil and gas industry has experienced a boom due in significant part to the successful exploitation of unconventional reservoirs through a process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Hope College’s Sarah Dean will explain the mechanics and process of fracking, its benefits and drawbacks, and how fracking affects us. She will also discuss the importance of understanding the geology of reservoirs (porosity, permeability, and rock type) to be used for fracking and the process of obtaining leases and mineral rights, as illustrated by case studies from the Permian Basin in Texas and other active basins.

Subject: environment, geology

Sarah Dean is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Science at Hope College. Her current research focuses on salt and shale tectonics, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to her appointment at Hope, Dean worked as a production geologist for Shell Exploration and Production Company in Texas. She holds a BS in geology from Hope and a PhD in earth science from Rice University.