West Virginia
From Wikimarcellus
As of February, 2012 over 1,400 Marcellus wells had been fractured in the state of West Virginia. In 2011, over 500 Marcellus shale drilling permits were issued. This was up from zero permits in 2006.
During 2010, 23% of gas production in the state came from 516 horizontal wells. That year 58 horizontal Marcellus shale wells were drilled. Permits for 433 wells were issued in 2010.
According to a report produced by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association in 2006, there were 46,110 active gas wells in West Virginia. Wells were located in all but two of the state's 55 counties. Only Jefferson and Berkeley Counties in the State's Eastern Panhandle have no gas wells.
According to a July, 2009 report, a partial list of active gas wells by
county includes:
County No. of Gas Wells
------ ----------------
Jackson 1,175
Pleasants 667
Ritchie 4,578
Wirt 407
Wood 283
In West Virginia, the Marcellus shale formation is located at varying depths throughout most of the state. Both the extreme western and eastern portions of the state are the exception. It varies in thickness between 20 and 100 feet. The thickest part of the formation is centered on Taylor and Barbour counties. Successful Marcellus wells have been drilled in shale only 46 feet thick.
The Onondaga Limestone lies immediately below it, and can be used by drillers to estimate the depth of a well drilled all the way through the Marcellus.
Reportedly, 299 West Virginia Marcellus wells were drilled in 2008.
According to a June, 2010 news article, West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection had issued permits for unconventional wells (probably shale drilling) as follows:
Year No. of Permits 2007 147 2008 387 2009 397 2010 (thru 5/31) 122
A different June, 2010 report gave this partial breakdown of Marcellus wells by county:
County No. of wells No. of permits Tyler 23 25 Wetzel 18 98 Marshall 13 79
