The biggest change in the global oil and gas industry during the past decade has been the proliferation of horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. Improvements in many aspects of the technologies and materials used in the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes have opened up vast shale deposits that previously were not viable economically for oil and gas production. A significant portion of this major energy development and technological breakthrough since the mid-2000s has taken place in Texas. Today, Texas produces more crude oil than any other state, and is responsible for more than one-third of the nation’s total oil production. At the same time, there is opposition to this expansion in many places, including some U.S. states and some nations. However, hydraulic fracturing for shale development will continue to be an important and likely growing part of the Texas and United States energy production portfolio. The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) convened a task force to prepare a report on the Texas shale development experience. This session will i) introduce TAMEST and the process used to prepare the report; ii) present the major findings and recommendations; and iii) report advances since the report’s release.

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