As the world’s demand for energy grows, oil and natural gas producers are constantly seeking new sources of fossil fuels. Sometimes these new sources are already known but trapped in locations that were once considered unreachable or in materials whose physical properties had prohibitive effects on extraction efforts. The Marcellus Shale is a source of natural gas which was previously known but most natural gas companies thought it was too expensive to drill for it. Increased demand and new technologies have made this vast reservoir of power much more attractive to companies willing to invest some time and money in the extraction effort.
What Is The Marcellus Shale Formation?
The Marcellus Shale is an immense subterranean, geological formation of shale rock that runs from the northern sections of Alabama and Georgia northeastward until it ends in New York. A portion of the northern part of the formation actually runs under Lake Erie. Trapped inside this porous rock are untold quantities of natural gas and oil, especially the former.
How Did The Marcellus Shale Become So Saturated With Natural Gas?
The shale itself was formed as sediment settles to the bottom of an ancient sea that is no longer extant in this region, which is presently dominated by the Appalachian Mountains. Over millions of years, the organic residue in this sediment was compressed by the weight of the material above it into black shale that is now rich in the by-products of these fossils’ decomposition: natural gas and oil. Such formations around the world hold differing quantities of each resource. The Marcellus Shale mostly holds natural gas.
Why Is The Marcellus Shale Of Such Interest Now?
This geological formation has been well known to scientists and industry specialists for many years. Suspicions about potential quantities of natural resources located here were also confirmed long ago. However, oil and gas were much more easily extracted from other regions around the world. In order to reach the stores of natural gas held beneath the upper reaches of this formation, it is necessary to penetrate rock rather than the softer soils around most of the wells explored during the twentieth century. The costs of such drilling would have made the oil and gas too expensive to sell in competition against companies who, in comparison, could effortlessly drill into ocean beds and the sands of the Middle East.
In the earliest years of this century, oil companies succeeded in utilizing a drilling technique hydrofracturing to extract oil and gas from the shale in Central Texas. Since then the technology behind this method has been successfully transplanted to various locations around the world. With this new technique, and the higher price of oil and gas resulting from increased demand, it is now feasible to drill profitably in this region.
Who Is Exploring The Marcellus Formation?
A number of companies are attempting to initiate and sustain drilling operations here. Among them are the following:
• Chesapeake Energy
• Penn Virginia
• Carrizo Oil & Gas
• CONSOL Energy
• Rex Energy
• Gastar Exploration
Previous assessments suggest that the present levels of technology could bring up and recover perhaps 10 percent of the natural gas in the Marcellus Shale Formation. This would be enough to sustain the natural gas needs of the United States for two years. However, further developments in hydrofracturing and other technical feats, such as sideways drilling, may significantly increase the amount of gas that could be recovered here.
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