Stratigraphy and resource assessment of Mississippian and Devonian oil shales of northeastern Kentucky
Heightened interest in the organic carbon-rich shale of Mississippian and Devonian age as a source of oil has resulted in intensive leasing along the shale outcrop belt in Kentucky. Twelve cores of shale from Lewis and Fleming Counties were examined and analyzed in an effort to relate details of stratigraphy to the oil-rich horizons and to outline areas of minable potential resources. Formations of interest are the Sunbury Shale (lower Mississippian) and the Ohio Shale (upper Devonian). Organic content is high in the Sunbury Shale and in the upper part of the Cleveland member of the Ohio Shale. In cores, the total thickness of the Sunbury ranges from 12.0 to 18.4 ft (3.7 to 5.6 m). The combined thickness of Berea sandstone and Bedford shale ranges from 28 to 122 ft (8.5 to 37.2 m). Assuming a stripping ratio of 2.5 to 1, more than 2.9 X 106 acre ft (3.6 X 103 cu hm) of shale having a Fischer-assay oil yield greater than 11 gal/st (38 l/mt) is minable by means of existing methods.
- OSTI ID:
- 6531009
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8105250-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States) Vol. 65:5; ISSN AAPGB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Geochemistry of Mississippian and Devonian oil shales of northeastern Kentucky
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Related Subjects
040100 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Reserves & Exploration-- (-1989)
040201* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Site Geology-- (-1989)
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
BLACK SHALES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
DEVONIAN PERIOD
DIMENSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISCHER ASSAY
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGY
KENTUCKY
LEASES
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
PALEOZOIC ERA
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
THICKNESS
USA