Geology News
West Virginia Current Events

Rising production from the Marcellus Shale could push the rock unit over the 10 billion cubic feet per day production milestone in 2013.

Did you know that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from any type of subsidence? That includes collapse from sinkholes, oil production, ground water pumping and underground mining activity. Most insurance companies offering homeowners coverage exclude almost any type of geologic hazard from coverage – unless you make specific arrangements to acquire it yourself.

An article on the Ohio.com website reports that Chesapeake Energy has three wells in West Virginia that yield hundreds of barrels of oil per day from the Marcellus Shale. They are in the state’s northern panhandle.

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

Some experts believe that the pace of drilling and hiring in the Marcellus Shale natural gas play will slow during 2013. This will be a response to a lack of pipeline capacity and production capacity that either exceeds or is unavailable to new consumers.

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

“Dried acid mine drainage sludge, or residuals, that result from treating acid mine drainage discharges can be used as a low-cost adsorbent elsewhere to efficiently remove phosphorus from agricultural and municipal wastewaters.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

A natural gas pipeline explosion near Sissonville, West Virginia (about five miles north of Charleston on Route 77) destroyed homes and disrupted interstate traffic. Fortunately no one was seriously injured.

Several companies involved in Marcellus Shale drilling and production report that they were not significantly disrupted by Hurricane Sandy.

Since January 2010, most of the increase in the dry shale gas production in the United States has been generated by the Marcellus Shale and the Haynesville Formation.

Before Hurricane Sandy hit, NASA’s Earth Observatory captured an interesting satellite image of fall colors on the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.

NOAA has posted a series of “U.S. Rainfall Potential Maps” that show the cumulative geographic distribution of potential rainfall amount across the eastern United States. Very large geographic areas could receive 12 inches of rain or more and experience significant flooding.

NOAA is publishing regular updates on Hurricane Sandy. Their website has track maps and advisories that are updated frequently.

Ohio DNR has publised a regional organic-thickness map of the Marcellus Shale with additional organic-rich beds in the Hamilton Group. The map covers areas in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.

FirstEnergy plans to close the Little Blue Run disposal facility. It is the largest coal ash disposal pond in the United States, located on the Pennsylvania – West Virginia border.

You can use the Google map at right to view the facility. Click the “view larger map” link to get a full browser map.

Twenty-two states are soliciting bids for natural gas vehicles that will be used in state government auto pools.

The Marcellus Shale (Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland) could overtake the Haynesville Shale (Arkansas, Texas) as the most productive gas shale in the United States.

Spreads between Appalachian Index natural gas in southwest Pennsylvania — and the Henry Hub in the Gulf Coast are changing due mainly to growth in Marcellus production. Appalachian Index gas has historically been priced about $0.25 per MMBtu above Henry Hub. However, the spread in forward markets has Appalachian gas priced less than Henry Hub. From the Energy Information Administration press release.

An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explores the slowdown in natural gas drilling experienced in most parts of the Marcellus Shale region. The drillers are not the only ones feeling the drop in activity.

Mountain Press Publishing has released a new book by Albert B. Dickas titled: 101 American Geo-Sites You’ve Gotta See.

It provides a two-page presentation on each site that features photos, text and a map. It is a good way to get a quick glimpse of these 101 fantastic sites. It sells for $23.99.

See a table of contents.

“Geologic cross section C–C′ is the third in a series of cross sections constructed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to document and improve understanding of the geologic framework and petroleum systems of the Appalachian basin.” Quoted from the USGS publication release.

An AP article reports that drillers produced about $4.7 billion worth of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia during 2011.

Several major natural gas drillers have developed a set of standards for hydraulic fracturing in the Appalachian Basin. The standards recommend practices for drilling, well design, water use, equipment use and public outreach.

An article on TheIntelligencer.net website explains how the geography of natural gas drilling in West Virginia is shifting from the dry gas areas that consists of most of the state to a few counties in the northern panhandle where wells yield natural gas liquids.

Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine, a mountaintop removal project in Logan County, West Virginia was approved, then denied and then approved again. If developed, it will be the largest mountaintop removal project in the state.

An article on the Platts.com website summarizes the 2012 drilling plans of Range Resources, EQT Production and Consol Energy.

This video provides a summary of work done by Katie Loughner, who served as a GeoCorps Intern at the C & O Canal National Historical Park. You can learn more about working at a GeoCorps Intern at the GSA Foundation website.