Geology and exploratory activity in Eastern Overthrust belt

Conference · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5784490

Woodfork, L D; Patchen, D G

The Eastern Overthrust belt is a term that has been applied in recent years by industry explorationists and others to variously defined parts of the Appalachian thrust and foldbelt (Valley and Ridge) and adjacent areas. Regardless of precisely how it is defined or the particular terms applied to it, the area has gone through several cycles of oil and gas exploration. The most recent exploration phase was spurred largely by reports of large flows of natural gas from the Columbia Gas discovery well drilled in 1978 in Mineral County, West Virginia, and analogies with the geology and recent discoveries in the western Overthrust. Data and interpretations from that most recent phase of industry exploration, coupled with attendant governmental and academic studies, have greatly increased their fundamental knowledge of the geology of the Appalachian orogenic belt and, according to some interpretations, have doubled the area of potentially productive rocks. Although that recent interest has waned in response to failure of some high-risk exploratory drilling, e.g., Columbia's remote wildcat near Albany, New York, and overall industry conditions, it now would appear to be an opportune time for industry to consolidate, synthesize, and evaluate all of the data available, acquire leases where justified, and begin to prepare for the next phase of Eastern Overthrust exploration.

• Research Organization: West Virginia Geological and Economic survey, Morgantown
• OSTI ID: 5784490
• Report Number(s): CONF-870606-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 71:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
MINERAL RESOURCES
MOUNTAINS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES