What Is Marcellus Shale?
Marcellus Shale is a geological formation that was formed by the accumulation of sediment into a sea. This formation was eventually buried over many thousands of years and compressed to produce an organic-rich black shale. This geological formation, which dates back to the Devonian time period, stretches from the Northeast to the Southwest in direction. For more information and a PowerPoint presentation about "Utica and Marcellus Shale Gas and Oil Lease Terms" click on the read more link...
The Marcellus starts at the base of the Catskills in upstate New York, stretches across the upstate toward Marcellus, New York (the town from which the formation is named) and southwest to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The Marcellus Shale is known to be deeper on the southeast edge of the formation that borders the ridge and valley regions of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. The Marcellus gets more shallow as it heads Northwest towards Ohio and Lake Erie.
Although throughout the geological world, Marcellus Shale has been identified as potentially rich in fossil fuels, it was not until recently that the industry has invested into exploration in Marcellus. Two factors are clearly present in the ramp up in exploration and production (E&P) activities related to Marcellus Shale. First, the success of the Barnett Shale play in North Central Texas has allowed companies to transfer the hydrofracturing technology to other areas, such as the Fayetteville Shale play (Arkansas), Haynesville Shale play (Louisiana and Eastern Texas), and the Marcellus Shale play. Second, the population centers of Northeastern U.S. are very close in proximity to the Marcellus Shale. This improves the economic conditions of the play because the demand for natural gas from this region is high; there are also costs associated with the transportation of natural gas so the close proximity will result in lower transportation costs.
As America demands more and more energy, the role that natural gas will play in that demand is uncertain. One thing that is certain is the Marcellus play is shaping up to be a key supplier for domestic natural gas. Impacts from this industry are uncertain as well. Historically, the energy industry has gone through times of "boom and bust" and is driven by the economical conditions present across the nation. The industry is also known for paying a higher wage, on average, compared to an equivalent manufacturing job. One thing that is not uncertain, although, is that the natural gas industry associated with Marcellus Shale exploration will give the nation another source to potentially reduce the intake of foreign supplies of natural gas.
The natural gas development process was divided into three phases (called pre-drilling, drilling, and production), and the distinct occupational categories that comprise the workforce requirements for each phase were identified. This process was relatively straightforward, as all major occupations were listed and further separated by the distinct educational and training requirements when possible.
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