Marcellus shale

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The Marcellus shale formation is a layer of black shale rock found deep underground in an area stretching from the State of New York down to West Virginia. The gas is found in pores in the rock formation so tight that gas is released very slowly or the gas tightly adheres to the rock. Both conditions may be true.

It has been known for decades that this layer contained gas, but until recently it was not believed economical to extract. Recent improvements in technology such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of the shale have changed the economics somewhat. When these developments are combined with recent comparatively high prices for natural gas, it makes the endeavor profitable for all of the participants.

Recent estimates indicate that there are 50 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas in the Marcellus shale. This is twice the amount consumed during 2007 in the U.S.

Pennsylvania has around one half of the proven U.S. natural gas reserves. The proximity of most of the deposits to the natural gas consuming cities of the east cost make the Marcellus an especially attractive target for exploration.

Marcellus shale can be as deep as 9,000 ft.

In the industry, it is known as an “unconventional deposit.”

One method of prospecting for promising gas deposits is to use seismic waves to map out deposits.