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What is the difference between Marcellus and Utica Shale?

What is the difference between Marcellus and Utica Shale?

The Marcellus Shale is a deep natural gas reserve running under parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. The Utica Shale is even deeper and larger, covering parts of these states plus Kentucky and Tennessee.

How deep is the Utica Shale in Ohio?

The Utica formation reaches subsea depths of up to -13,000 feet in a northeast trending arc through Pennsylvania and is shallowest at the junction of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky and along the outcrops. The area where most producing wells are found has a subsea depth ranging from -5,000 to -11,000 feet.

What type of rock is Utica Shale?

The Utica Shale is a black, calcareous, organic-rich shale of Middle Ordovician age that underlies significant portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Quebec and other parts of eastern North America (see Figure 1).

Where is the Utica Shale predominantly located?

The Utica Shale lies under most of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, and extends under adjacent parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada and Kentucky, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia in the United States.

How big is the Utica Shale?

170,000 square miles
The Utica Shale is an expansive oil and natural gas field that is in parts of Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. At an estimated 170,000 square miles, the Utica Shale is estimated to be nearly twice the size of its more famous neighbor, the Marcellus Shale.

How long will the Marcellus Shale last?

That’s this: Just how long will the gas beneath the Marcellus formation last? There’s a shockingly wide range of opinions on the subject — from as little as seven and a half years to as much as 100 years.

What is the most common source rock for oil deposits?

Petroleum source rock is defined as the fine-grained sediment with sufficient amount of organic matter, which can generate and release enough hydrocarbons to form a commercial accumulation of oil or gas [1]. Source rocks are commonly shales and lime mudstones, which contain significant amount of organic matter [2].

Which state has temporarily banned fracking 1 point?

In the United States, the states of New York and Maryland ban fracking. In Australia, the state of Victoria has also banned fracking.

How long is Marcellus Shale?

How long do Shale wells produce?

AFTER DRILLING After completion, a well can produce for as long as 20 to 40 years–providing energy and long-term revenue to governments and mineral owners and sustaining local jobs.

Is there oil in the Marcellus Shale?

EIA estimates proven reserves in the Marcellus Play of 77.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) at year end 2015 which makes it one of the largest natural gas plays in the U.S. The Marcellus has oil reserves of 143 million barrels (MMbbls).

Is shale oil better than crude oil?

Shale oil is a substitute for conventional crude oil; however, extracting shale oil is more costly than the production of conventional crude oil both financially and in terms of its environmental impact. Deposits of oil shale occur around the world, including major deposits in the United States.

Where is the Utica Shale play in Ohio?

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Utica Shale Play 11. The Utica formation is thickest in western Ohio and the northwest corner of Pennsylvania at 200–300 feet and thins out to 50 feet or less in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

What kind of natural gas is in the Utica Shale?

In addition, most of the area within Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania is inside the thermal maturation window producing a rich combination of natural gas, natural gas liquids, and oil. (see image: Utica Shale Group/Overlay Diagram) Total organic carbon (TOC) measured from samples within the play area range from 2.2 to over 7 weight percent.

Where are the Utica and Marcellus shales located?

The Utica and Marcellus are so geographically extensive that it is impossible to present a stratigraphic sequence that would be correct in all areas. This diagram presents a generalized sequence of rocks that might be present in central and western Pennsylvania. Image by Geology.com.

Where are the shale plays in the United States?

The play has seen substantial growth in natural gas production in the past four years. Currently, the deeper Point Pleasant formation is more often targeted for drilling because of its higher productivity. The most prolific areas of the Point Peasant formation are located in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.