History of gas production from Devonian shale in eastern Kentucky
More than 10,500 wells that penetrate the Devonian shale have been compiled into a data base covering a 25-county area of eastern Kentucky. This area includes the Big Sandy gas field, the largest in the Appalachian basin, and marginal areas to the southwest, west, and northwest. The development of the Big Sandy gas field began in the 1920s in western Floyd County, Kentucky, and moved concentrically outward through 1970. Since 1971, the trend has been for infill and marginal drilling, and fewer companies have been involved. The resulting outline of the Big Sandy gas field covers most of Letcher, Knott, Floyd, Martin, and Pike Counties in Kentucky; it also extends into West Virginia. Outside the Big Sandy gas field, exploration for gas has been inconsistent, with a much higher ratio of dry holes. The results of this study, which was partially supported by the Gas Research Institute (GRI), indicate that certain geologic factors, such as fracture size and spacing, probably determine the distribution of commercial gas reserves as well as the outline of the Big Sandy gas field. Future Big Sandy infill and extension drilling will need to be based on an understanding of these factors.
- Research Organization:
- Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexington (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5790796
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8809345-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Vol. 72:8; ISSN AABUD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
030300* -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
APPALACHIAN BASIN
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BLACK SHALES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
DEVONIAN PERIOD
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION III
FEDERAL REGION IV
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
KENTUCKY
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALES
PALEOZOIC ERA
PRODUCTION
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOURCE ROCKS
USA
WELLS
WEST VIRGINIA