09122-04

Primary Performer
Gas Technology Institute (GTI)

Additional Participants
The Pennsylvania State University
West Virginia University
Bureau of Economic Geology
Pinnacle Technologies
Restech

Abstract
The Marcellus Gas Shale is an emerging resource that covers an area of 54,000 square miles across four states with estimates of 63 tcf of producible gas. The objective of this research is to develop technologies to overcome the technical and environmental challenges preventing the ex-pansion of Marcellus production through a field based project. The project serves the RPSEA objective of enhanced shale gas production from the Appalachian region. Gas Technology Institute has formed a team of prominent experts from Pennsylvania State University, Bureau of Economic Geology, West Virginia University, Pinnacle Technologies, and ResTech. The project also coordinates with ongoing RPSEA research. Related research at Stanford University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Texas A&M are being integrated to avoid research duplication and leverage research dollars.

Industry participation includes the leading developers of the Marcellus Shale(Range Resources), providing detailed field data and testing utilizing wells of opportunity provided by Range Resources. The value of the data and wells provided by Range Resources, and cost sharing by the Research Team exceeds $1,650,000. In addition, GTI will include the Marcellus Shale Committee (MSC - consisting of 33 producing members.) The MSC membership provides an effective technology transfer venue where results of the project will be reviewed on a regular basis. Duration of the project will be 18 months and the following technical issues will be addressed:

• Basin-level Resource Characterization
• Formation Evaluation
• Fracture Modeling and Diagnostics
• Reservoir Engineering
• Field Data Acquisition
• Data Analysis, Coordination, and Technology Dissemination.

Project Deliverables include:

• Geological database of results integrated with all project data
• Report describing the geological conditions for promising production potential
• Techniques for optimized fracture stimulation of Marcellus horizontal wells
• Assessment of reservoir production characteristics including conductivity and influence of natural fractures, and effective stimulated reservoir volume.

The Technology Transfer Plan includes open industry workshops, presentations at MSC meetings, other industry conferences as well as web based reporting. Benefits of the research effort will accrue through a better characterization of the resource, enhanced fracture stimulation, and reliable reservoir assessment. The project has a goal of leading the way to convert the immense technically recoverable Marcellus gas into an economically recoverable reserve.

Principal Investigator: Iraj A. Salehi