NETL, Virginia Tech and EnerVest Operating assess value of unconventional shale in Central Appalachia

Virginia Tech and EnerVest Operating LLC, working out of a National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)-supported field lab, are continuing a drilling investigation of unconventional shale reservoirs in Central Appalachia.

The effort includes drilling a casing shoe of a 15,000-foot characterization well to investigate and characterize resource potential in the area. Ostensibly, this would culminate in multi-play production of emerging unconventional reservoirs in the region, as part of the emerging stacked unconventional plays project. The partners hope this will lead to further natural gas development and jobs in the region, which has been battered economically by the national shift away from coal.

“NETL has a great history of facilitating cooperation among academic institutions and industry throughout the Nation, with the upcoming ESUP serving as an example of what can happen when these institutions work together,” NETL’s Robert Vagnetti said. “In addition to the potential economic benefits, this project also furthers NETL’s goal of discovering how to leverage the most of our natural resources while leaving a light environmental footprint.”

The Central Appalachian region is known to support abundant resources like coalbed methane, shale, and other unconventional resources. Many are vertically stacked, offering the potential to tap multiple reservoirs at once. While more shallow reservoirs produce at relatively low rates, the deeper formations are largely untested. NETL seeks to improve characterization of these sources through drilling, coring, logging, and analyses. It will also explore novel non-aqueous well completion strategies in the Lower Huron, assessing its multi-play resource potential and recommending a strategy for development that balances environmental and socioeconomic impacts.

Current efforts are based in Wise County, Va. They began in April 2018 and have benefited from more than $8 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy.