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Americans say gas drilling jobs offset risk-survey23 minutes ago by Thomson Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some 80 percent of Americans said they believe the risks of developing U.S. natural gas drilling would be offset by creating more jobs in a depressed economy, according to a survey by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions.
But the survey skewed towards less support for drilling in New York and Pennsylvania, where the process has been strongly contested by some residents and environmental groups.
The survey, conducted online and made up of 1,694 respondents age 21 to 74, comes at a time when the environmental risks of gas drilling are being weighed against the number of jobs the industry has created as the U.S. unemployment rate remains at 8.6 percent.
The discovery of large quantities of natural gas in underground rock formations in the U.S., and development of technology to release the gas has dramatically transformed the market, pushing production to record levels and flattening prices.
The drilling process involves shooting water and a mix of chemicals below ground to break open rock formations and release gas deposits. Nearly 60 percent of the national respondents polled were aware of potential water contamination issues, the survey said.
"In Pennsylvania and New York, where people are not as used to oil and gas development, a more modest majority of respondents (52 percent) would advise family or friends to lease their land to a natural gas developer," said Gary Adams, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and head of the firm's oil and gas practice.
Deloitte is a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd, a UK private company.
"Similarly, a slimmer majority of respondents who currently do, or ever have, leased their land to a natural gas developer (53 percent) would do so again."