In Ohio and Pennsylvania, Marcellus and Utica shale deposits have the potential of answering part of the country’s domestic natural gas needs. Surveying services play an integral part of exploration, environmental concerns and pipeline easements. Target Surveying Consulting has the tools, people and know how to work with the geologist, engineers, and land acquisition professionals.  

This map shows the approximate depth to the base of the Marcellus Shale. It was prepared using the map by Robert Milici and Christopher Swezey above and adding depth-to-Marcellus contours published by Wallace de Witt and others, 1993, United States Department of Energy Report: The Atlas of Major Appalachian Gas Plays. [4]

At present, the natural gas pipeline capacity in the Marcellus Shale region is inadequate to carry the volume of gas that will be produced. Several major pipelines are needed to transport millions of cubic feet of gas per day to high population markets. In addition, thousands of miles of natural gas gathering systems must be built to connect individual wells to the major pipelines.

The cross-section above shows the subsurface position of the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale and the continental basement rock. The line of cross section is shown on the inset map. Note that the Utica Shale is about 2000 feet below the Marcellus under eastern Ohio but about 6000 feet below the Marcellus in southcentral Pennsylvania. This map was compiled by Geology.com using data provided by the Energy Information Administration, the United States Geological Survey, the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Energy.