Shale Gas in the Southern Central Area of New York State. Volume 3. Experience of Drilling Five Shale-Gas Wells in New York State

摘要

Five shale-gas wells have been located and drilled in the South-Central areas of New York State as part of this program. The program was undertaken by Arlington Exploration Company (AEC) during 1981 and 1982. The wells were drilled on educational properties in an attempt to demonstrate the economic prospect of natural gas for institutional and small commercial consumers to develop their own source of energy. All five wells were completed in the Marcellus section of the Devonian shale. Each of the five wells was connected to an appropriate heat load for the purpose of production testing. The project supports the theory that a well drilled anywhere in South-Central New York and completed in the Marcellus Shale using modern fracturing techniques (i.e. nitrogen foam) is likely to produce some gas. Important factors not yet predictable are the decline rate of Marcellus production and the volume of recoverable reserves. Depths to the Marcellus Shale generally increase from north (i.e. Houghton College) to south (i.e. Portville Central School). (ERA citation 08:038468)