What can we learn about shale gas development from land values? Opportunities, challenges, and evidence from Texas and Pennsylvania

Abstract

We study farm real estate values in the Barnett Shale (Texas) and the northeastern part of the Marcellus Shale (Pennsylvania and New York). Shale gas development caused appreciation in both areas but the effect was much larger in the Marcellus, suggesting broader ownership of oil and gas rights by surface owners. In both regions, most appreciation occurred when land was leased for drilling, not when drilling and production boomed. We find evidence that effects vary by farm type, which may reflect a correlation between farm type and the presence of oil and gas rights