New Albany Shale maps in the Illinois Basin

Abstract

The New Albany Shale (NAS) in the Illinois Basin is a Middle and Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian unit correlative with the Antrim Shale of the Michigan Basin and the Ohio and Marcellus Shales of the Appalachian Basin. NAS is an organic-matter-rich formation that extends through Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky with a thickness from <6 to 140 m (<20 to 460 ft) and an elevation from 228 m near outcrops to −1370 m in the deepest, central part of the basin (750 ft to −4,500 ft). Depth ranges from 0 to 1,585 m (5,200 feet). The principal rock types are brownish-black shale that is rich in organic matter, greenish-gray shale, dolomite, and siltstone.

The Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois State Geological Surveys have been collecting physical and chemical data and mapping the New Albany Shale for many years. We are in a process of developing an online New Albany Shale application as a part of the IGS Map. The application will be the most comprehensive digital compilation of geologic information about the New Albany Shale and its members. It allows users to interactively search, explore, and compare data. These data are important for regional evaluations and can be used by the public, industry, and state and federal governments. This presentation will highlight the newest maps of the NAS.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90218 © 2015 Eastern Section Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, September 20-22, 2015