Natural gas reservoir may hike U.S. output

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Geoscientists said a natural gas black shale reservoir in northern Appalachia could conservatively boost proven U.S. reserves by trillions of cubic feet.

However, that depends upon gas production companies employing horizontal drilling techniques, said Penn State and State University of New York-Fredonia geologists.

"The value of this science could increment the net worth of U.S. energy resources by a trillion dollars, plus or minus billions," said Penn State Professor Terry Engelder.

The Marcellus shale field stretches from southern New York, through western Pennsylvania into the eastern half of Ohio and across West Virginia.

Engelder and SUNY Professor Gary Lash said the Marcellus shale conservatively contains 168 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place, but the figure might be as high as 516 trillion cubic feet.

The researchers said the U.S. currently produces roughly 30 trillion cubic feet of gas annually. Engelder said the technology exists to recover 50 trillion cubic feet of gas just from the Marcellus, making it a super giant gas field.

Engelder and Lash will present their findings in San Antonio this spring during the annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.