Submission + - SPAM: Giant gas field found in the Appalachia
Roland Piquepaille writes: "It's well known that the Marcellus black shale in northern Appalachia, which covers hundreds of square miles in five states (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and West Virginia), contains natural gas. But now, two U.S. researchers have discovered that the reserves are much bigger than previously thought. They estimate that this gas field contains at least 168 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in place. And they suggest that the reservoir could deliver up to 516 trillion cubic feet. By comparison, the yearly consumption of natural gas worldwide is slightly above 100 trillion cubic feet. The U.S. currently produces roughly 30 trillion cubic feet of gas a year. Horizontal drilling techniques could help to recover about 50 trillion cubic feet of gas from the Marcellus. But read more for additional details and a picture showing the fracture joints in the Marcellus black shale and how they could be exploited."
