What is marcellus gas wells

Generalized map showing depth to the top of the Utica Shale. To the north in New York state, the Utica Shale equivalent is exposed at the surface. To the west, beyond the study area in Ohio, the Utica Shale is at a relatively shallow depth and has not generated hydrocarbons. Thickness of Utica Shale and equivalents in the area of study. The thickness estimates include relatively organic-carbon rich intervals above and below that are capable of generating hydrocarbons gas, condensate and oil with sufficient burial and heating.

Click on the map in order to see the animation of shale wells drilled in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia from to December 31, The components that make up natural gas in Pennsylvania can vary based on the "thermal maturity" of the gas, which depends on how much temperature and pressure the geologic formation experienced over time.

Natural gas is known as being dry or wet, with dry gas being more thermally mature and consisting primarily of methane, whereas wet gas is less thermally mature and may contain "natural gas liquids" including ethane, butane, propane, and pentane. These natural gas liquids need to be separated from the methane to ensure the natural gas sent to consumers has a consistent BTU content. Wet gas is currently considered to be more valuable in the marketplace as the natural gas liquids have inherent value as a commodity.

In the Marcellus Shale, the natural gas varies from wet in the western portion of the state and to dry in the northeast as shown on the map. This geologic cross section depicts the extent and depth of the Marcellus Shale near Clearfield, Pennsylvania. Found as deep as 9, feet below the ground surface in northeastern and central Pennsylvania, the Marcellus Formation generally becomes shallower at depths of 2, feet toward northwest Pennsylvania.

The Marcellus Shale covers 6 states and underlies nearly 75 percent of Pennsylvania. October 18, AM. July 22, AM. February 16, PM. Updated: November 30, pm. Updated: September 14, am. July 13, AM. Updated: March 13, pm. March 2, AM. December 24, AM. Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia accounted for one third of the country's shale gas production in December 20, AM.

Tom Wolf Tom Corbett Pa. Even after a year of falling oil prices and depressed natural gas, the EIA at mid-year projected that natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale would ultimately reach an astounding Tcf through Much of the industry activity to date in the Marcellus has centered in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where thousands of wells have been drilled. There has been limited drilling in East Ohio and Western Maryland as well.

In Ohio, where operators typically drill the Marcellus from multi-well pads that share the Utica, just 43 Marcellus wells have been permitted and 28 have been drilled, according to state data at the time of this writing. The formation is also considered highly prospective in Southern New York, but a ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing in that state currently prevents any development there see Shale Daily , June 29, Range Resources Corp.

Production in those areas features a dry and a wet gas window. The first Marcellus well in Northeast Pennsylvania was drilled several years later. Similar results in West Virginia have operators considering a shift in their capital budgets. The Pennsylvania tests were conducted in the southwest part of the state — in Greene, Westmoreland and Washington counties. EQT said in late that it would both suspend its Upper Devonian Shale drilling and defer some Marcellus wells to build in a 10 well deep, dry Utica program in After the company completes a third Utica well in Southwest Pennsylvania in early , it would stop and continue developing the Marcellus, management has said.

The pace of production growth in the Marcellus might have been even faster to date, if it were not for a lack of midstream capacity in the area. Bottlenecks in the Marcellus will begin to ease in earnest in , but the rapid growth of production in the face of pipeline constraints has done a number on basis differentials in the region.

Appalachia producers used to enjoy a premium to Gulf Coast pricing, but that has all but disappeared in recent months. In fact, weak netback prices led producers to curtail approximately 1.