Fracking is the only means to determine whether there are gas reserves to exploit, experts say. "There's no real way to tell from the surface. You do your homework the best you can, but they have drilled many, many a dry hole," said Thomas Biggs, professor of petrology, geomorphology and regional geology at the University of Virginia. "When you are dealing with this kind of well, and as deep as they are, the chances are you are going to get something."