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Gas Exploration In The Devonian Shales Of Kentucky, Terence Hamilton-Smith

Bulletin--KGS

Devonian black shales constitute a major economic resource in Kentucky. These shales, known variously as the Ohio, Chattanooga, and New Albany Shales, are between 50 and 1, 700 feet thick and occur both in outcrop and in the subsurface, buried as deep as 4,200 feet below sea level.

Total gas in place for the Devonian shales in Kentucky is estimated to be between 63 and 112 trillion cubic feet; between 2 and 28 percent is recoverable. Known shale gas accumulations include the giant Big Sandy Field of eastern Kentucky and adjacent \/Vest Virginia, as well as a number of smaller …