KingKonree - Solid Surface Manufacturer of Sanitary Ware, Solid Surface Countertops & Sheets for over 24 years, innovation in moulding and thermoforming
The Marcellus Formation has many names due to its occupancy in several states of the US. The Marcellus Shale formation within the Appalachian Basin lies beneath New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The area containing Black Shale within the formation are the states Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and small portions of Virginia and Alabama. The sedimentary rocks in this formation, called shale, house a majority of natural gas.
In 2002, the USGS published a report which stated the natural gas contained in the Marcellus Formation was 1.9 TCF; however, in 2009, US Department of Energy published their report which estimated 262 TCF of recoverable natural gas in the Marcellus Formation. The recoverable natural gas in New York and West Virginia alone is approximately 49 TCF, which is worth one trillion US Dollars. If the entire formation contains natural gas, there is an estimated 1,307 TCF, at a recovery rate of 30%.
Recovering the natural gas within the Marcellus Formation requires first the use of directional drilling at a depth of 10,000 ft. The second phase of recovery is hydraulic fracturing, which pumps pressurized water and chemicals into the rock below the formation to fracture the shale and release the gas. The technique has proven effective since the turn of the 21st century & continues to be updated by industry leaders.