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On April 25, 2017, the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory issued a press release detailing the findings of a recent study that analyzed the impact of low-frequency seismicity on oil and natural gas production from unconventional shales. According to NETL, data collected as part of the study could assist operators in optimizing oil and natural gas production from unconventional shale. Specifically, NETL believes that “information about reservoir stress states and distribution of natural fractures linked to low frequency earthquakes can be used to plan reservoir stimulation in a manner that is both optimally efficient and most productive as a long-term energy resource.”