Shale Gas
Potential in New York: Results from
Recent NYSERDA-Sponsored Research
Martin, John P.1, Richard
Nyahay2, James Leone2, Daniel Jarvie3 (1) New
York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (2) New York
State Museum, Albany, NY (3) Humble Geochemical Services, Humble, TX
Though New York's first shale well was
drilled in 1821, shale has not been a major contributor to natural gas
production in the state. Previous estimates of the state's shale gas resource
range from 163 to 313 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). A review of the history and
research conducted on shale shows that the resource in New York is poorly understood
and has not been adequately tested. Starting in the mid-1990s, the New York
State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) began to look at the
possibility that the state's shale formations may offer production potential.
Recent NYSERDA sponsored projects are helping to characterize both the Devonian
and Ordovician shales.
New York is geographically at
the northern end of the contiguous Appalachian Basin that runs along the
eastern United States. The Adirondack uplift creates a local
termination of the basin in the state's northern reaches. The most of the
state's rock column, from the Proterozoic through the Devonian can be observed
in outcrop along this termination. Prospective shales include the Ordovician
Utica, the Middle Devonian Hamilton (Marcellus), and suite of Late Devonian
shales that are separated by silt/sandy layers.
Using outcrop samples, well cores and
well cuttings, the physical and chemical properties of the most prospective
shales have been analyzed. The results indicate that New York possesses a number of
distinct shale plays. With proper drilling and completion technology, each
offers economic potential given the favorable conditions for market-area gas.