Utica Shale

USGS Releases Assessment of Utica Shale

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released its first assessment of the Utica Shale in the United States and reported that this formation holds 38 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas (mean estimate).

The USGS also said that the Utica Shale contains a mean of 940 million barrels of crude oil resources and 9 million barrels of natural gas liquids.  Although most industry development has been in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the survey also assessed the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale in Maryland, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The estimated range of undiscovered resources is as follows:

Crude oil - 590 million barrels to 1.39 billion barrels

Natural gas - 21 to 61 TCF

Natural gas liquids - 4 to 16 million barrels

The USGS defines technically recoverable oil and gas resources as “those quantities of oil and gas producible using currently available technology and industry practices, regardless of economic or accessibility considerations.”  Here is a map of the area assessed by the USGS

Rex Energy Reports On Utica Shale Well

Rex Energy (REXX) reported production results on the company’s first Utica Shale well drilled in Ohio.

The Brace #1H well produced 1,094 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) during the first 24 hours, with 43% of the production composed of natural gas liquids, 31% natural gas and 26% condensate.  The production figures assume full ethane recovery.

The Brace #1H well is located in Carroll County, Ohio, and was drilled to a total measured depth of 12,332 feet with a lateral length of approximately 4,170 feet.   The well was completed with a 17 stage hydraulic fracturing operation.  The crude oil has an API gravity of 60.1 degrees and the natural gas is approximately 1,250 BTU.

Utica Shale Permit Map - August 2012

Here is the latest map of drilling activity in Ohio targeting the Utica Shale Point Pleasant formation.  There have been 321 wells permitted in the state between August 20, 2009, and August 3, 2012.   The leading public operators include:

Chesapeake Energy (CHK) – 225 permits

Anadarko Petroleum (APC) – 12 permits

Hess Corporation (HES) – 9 permits

Devon Energy (DVN) – 8 permits

CONSOL Energy (CNX) – 7 permits

Gulfport Energy (GPOR) – 7 permits

The source of the permit data is the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Geological Survey. 

Utica Shale Activity Map