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WV'S BIGGEST GAS RESERVES YET TO BE TAPPED |
| (02/05/2008) |
| West Virginia's biggest natural gas reserves are yet to be tapped. Geologists says trillions of cubic feet of recoverable natural gas lies right beneath the feet of West Virginians. With about 3,000 wells being planned overall by producers, Scott Rotruck of Chesapeake Energy says the Marcellus Shale was one reason his company decided to locate its corporate offices in West Virginia. The gas in Marcellus Shale is located 6,000 feet below the earth's surface, virtually untapped. "About 47 TCF of natural gas has been produced, we believe, over the history of the basin. We think there's twice that much that may be available," said Rotruck. "Since this is our headquarters for Chesapeake Energy, this is where we hope to see the most dollars, the most investment, the most jobs, the most revenues to really do new things in new ways," Rotruck said. Geologists have long known about the 54,000 square miles of the Marcellus Shale stretching from New York, through Pennsylvania, Ohio and nearly all of West Virginia. Until recently, it's been nearly impossible to reach the natural gas that far down. Chesapeake Energy now has 3-D seismic equipment to find the reserves and bring them to the surface. "It allows us great accuracy when we choose a place to drill," said Rotruck, "We very seldom miss. We do all of our work up front. Just like good surgery, great diagnostics make very few incisions and hit the target." Rotruck says gas is clean burning and from West Virginia's own backyard. "I think you'll see 3,000 new jobs to the natural gas industry in the not too distant future," he predicted. Then, there is the giant reserve of deep well gas below the current deposits.
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