AIPG 6th Annual Conference The Expanding World of
Unconventional Shale Hydrocarbon Resources
Curtis J. Coe, CPG 6240
The Role of Hydraulic Fracturing in the Development of theUtica, Marcellus, and other Shale of the Appalachian Basin
AIPG and the Ohio Section of AIPG hosted the sixth annual conference on the expanding world of unconventional shale hydrocarbon resources in the Appalachian basin. This confer- ence was a great opportunity for industry, research scientists and engineers, regulators, and consultants to come together to learn critical aspects related to developing hydrocarbon resources in the Appalachian Basin. Both the short course and conference were a great success and an opportunity for all that attended to learn about the depositional environment and future development of the black shale deposits in the Appalachian Basin.
The three-day conference addressed the petroleum hydro- carbon potential, geotechnical characteristics, hydrogeology, and the depositional environment of the shale deposits of the Appalachian basin. The conference design allowed geologists to get a firsthand knowledge of the depositional environment of the Appalachian shale deposits in core and outcrop. The short course was set up so that those attending the course could carry the insights gained directly to the technical sessions, enabling the new information to be as meaningful as possible to attendees. All of the effort that went into the planning was designed so attendees could directly apply the new knowledge to solving on the job problems.
Ohio Geology in Core and Outcrop Short Course
The American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), in cooperation with the Ohio Geological Survey, Miami University, the Ohio Geological Society, and DLZ Engineering, presented a short course, “Ohio Geology in Core and Outcrop” at the H. R. Collins Laboratory and Core Repository on Monday, April 27, 2015.
The program started with a lecture from Dr. Brian Currie, Associate Professor of Geology at Miami University. He focused on the depositional environment of the shale deposits in the Appalachian basin, including background information on the tectonic setting. He presented an enlightening discussion on the stratigraphy of the shale beds in relationship to each other. He also provided a detailed analysis of the core from
Erie County selected for study, and discussed a number of core logging and evaluation techniques.
The accompanying cross-section from Dr. Brian Currie’s presentation is a highly schematic east-west section drawn from New York to Ohio in the Northern Appalachian Basin that depicts the relative timing and distribution of the dark shale basins formed during the four tectophases of the Acadian orogeny (Ettensohn and Lierman 2012).
Brian Mott, geologist with DLZ Engineering, followed Dr. Currie by presenting a lecture on “When Rocks Go Bad.” Brian provided insight as to why shale deposits are prone to weak- ness and failure. He touched on some of the basics of how to use the data obtained in core and outcrops to solve geotechni- cal and hydrogeological problems and issues, including slope stability and foundation engineering.
After the lectures, participants worked in small groups to log selected intervals of cores. Ohio Geological Survey person- nel were available at each of the five (5) core stations to dis- cuss the core with students and help with the exercises. Each exercise focused on identifying key sequence stratigraphic horizons, as well as zones of potential hydrocarbon resources based on lithological characteristics, geophysical logs, and organic geochemical data. In addition, Brian Mott staffed an additional station with examples of Pennsylvanian-aged shale and mudstones that represent engineering/landslide problems common in eastern Ohio. The short course concluded with a field trip led by Ohio Geological Survey personnel, to nearby
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