Geologists Develop Interactive West Virginia Marcellus Shale Map
The free site could be useful for anyone thinking about leasing
property or looking for a job the industry.
The State Journal
21 March 2011
By Mike Krafcik
MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia geologists have created an
interactive online map of Marcellus gas deposits.
"There's so much interest in the Marcellus shale. What is it? Where is
it? How deep is it?? How thick is it?" said Mary Behling, West Virginia
Geological & Economy Survey.
Those questions and many others about Marcellus shale drilling are
answered by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey's new
Marcellus interactive mapping application.
"The industry and land interest are interested. Researchers of all
types are interested in what is going on with the Marcellus," Behling
said.
Mary Behling is one of the geologists responsible for developing and
updating the map. Behling says it depicts the thickness of the
Marcellus and lists more than 1,200 completed wells and more than 800
permeated wells.
Information on any given well can include information about who owns
it, when a permit was granted and how much energy it produces.
John Bocan, a programmer at the survey, says the interactive map came
online almost three months ago and it's already one of the site's most
popular features.
It already has received 57,000 hits this month.
"It is right now it is our most popular interactive map to date," he
said.
Much of the interest from a variety of sources including landowners,
policy makers, and drilling industry reps.
"A lot of times people comment that's it hard to believe government
would develop a useful product for people to use," she said.
They say the site is only going to get better, it's currently in the
process of being further developed including information on more gas
wells.