Stratigraphy and production characteristics of upper Devonian black shales and siltstones, West Virginia
Prior to 1979, drilling for oil and gas from Upper Devonian clastic reservoirs in West Virginia was separated into two main trends; (1) oil and gas reservoirs in thin nearshore sandstones, or bundles of discontinuous marine sandstones and siltstones, associated with the Catskill delta and (2) gas reservoirs in organic-rich black shales in the finer clastic, more offshore facies farther to the southwest. Recent exploration and development drilling in the area between these two productive trends has provided sufficient control to carefully document key facies changes and intertonguing relationships. Fine-grained sandstones and siltstone bundles that extend into the area from the east are replaced by gray shales to the west. Black, organic-rich shales interfinger with, and are replaced by, nonorganic, gray marine shales to the east. Oil and gas production have been developed in these distal tongues of sandstones and siltstones and in the thin black shales that thicken to the west. Although exceptional wells have been drilled, the typical well in this area of recent drilling is marginally economic. Initial decline rates are high, and most wells will be short-lived, in contrast to the low-volume, long-term wells characteristic of the black shale reservoirs farther to the southwest. In general, productivity from black shale reservoirs increases progressively to the southwest, from fields associated with the detached Burning Springs anticline to fields that overlie the Rome trough in eastern Kentucky. The difference between opposite ends of this productive trend is significant. The average shale well to the southwest produces more gas in its thirtieth year than the average shale well to the northeast produces during second year on line.
- Research Organization:
- West Virginia Geological Survey, Morgantown (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5794974
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880301-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bull.; (United States) Vol. 72:2; ISSN AABUD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Occurrence of oil and gas in Devonian shales and equivalents in West Virginia. Final report
Occurrence of oil and gas in Devonian shales and equivalents in West Virginia
Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BLACK SHALES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
DEVONIAN PERIOD
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION III
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
MATERIALS
MATURATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALES
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILTSTONES
STRATIGRAPHY
USA
WEST VIRGINIA