Date of Graduation
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
Thomas H Wilson
Committee Co-Chair
Timothy R Carr
Committee Member
John Ryan Shackleton
Abstract
The Marcellus Shale is a Devonian age black shale formed during the Acadian Orogeny along the eastern margin of North America. The Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale is an unconventional shale-gas reservoir that has been a major target of seismic exploration and gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. This study focuses on analyses of seismic response, mechanical, and petrophysical properties of the Marcellus Shale and surrounding strata in Taylor County, West Virginia.;Spectral blueing was performed on the post stack migration seismic volume to enhance the resolution. The resolution of the volume was increased from 61 feet to 47 feet, which improved the detail observed in the seismic response and provided additional insights in the interpretation of the Marcellus and bounding intervals. The isochore map created from the modified Marcellus picks shows greater variability in the thickness of the Marcellus, with an overall trend of thickening to the east. Within the thicker part of the Marcellus, a second negative reflection event appeared that was not obvious in the post stack migration. This event was interpreted to be part of the Lower Marcellus Shale.;Lambda-rho and Mu-rho parameters were calculated using compressional and shear wave vibrations and density obtained from the well logs. When combined with the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, these cross-plots are indicative of favorable brittle and total organic carbon (TOC) rich zones that highlight potential drilling targets in the Marcellus. TOC was estimated using the Schmoker and Passey methods, and provide very similar estimates within the Marcellus Shale. Specifically note that the Middle and Lower Marcellus are generally the more TOC rich and productive Marcellus zones.
Recommended Citation
Weicht, Derek, "3D Seismic, Mechanical Stratigraphy, and Petrophysical Analysis of the Marcellus Shale in Taylor County, West Virginia" (2015). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6930.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6930