Cambrian Rogersville Shale (Conasauga Group) in the Rome
Trough, Ky. and W. Va.:a potential new unconventional reservoir in
the Appalachian Basin
Dave Harris
John Hickman
Cortland EbleKentucky Geological Survey
University of Kentucky
2014 Eastern Unconventional Oil and Gas Symposium - November 5-7, 2014 in Lexington, Kentucky, USA http://www.euogs.org
Acknowledgements
• Rome Trough Consortium partners
– Ohio, W. Va. and Kentucky Surveys; Industry and US DOE funding
• Bob Ryder, USGS, retired
• Monte Hay, Hay Exploration
Outline of Presentation
• Rome Trough regional geology and stratigraphy
• Geochemistry and organic petrography
• New drilling activity and potential for a deep unconventional play
Rome Trough Consortium1999-2002
• Regional stratigraphic and structural interpretation• Homer field study, Elliott County• Cross sections, core descriptions, paleogeographic
maps, gross/net sandstone maps• Hydrocarbon and source rock geochemistry• 2004 Open-file report available at KGS
• Study did not consider the unconventional resource potential
Other Conasauga Production
• Limited Conasauga shale gas production, Big Canoe Creek field, Black Warrior Basin, AL
• Very different than Rome Trough
– Appalachian overthrust mushwad
• 2010 RPSEA report 07122.17.01 (Pashin and others)
Middle Cambrian Paleogeography
Ron Blakey, Colorado Plateau Geosystems, Arizona USA
Rome Trough Structural Features
StratigraphicProblem
1000 feet
0 200
GR
2 3
RHOB
0 200
GR
2 3
RHOB
0.3 -0.1
NPHI
0 200
GR
2 3
RHOB
0.3 -0.1
NPHI
4000
7000
8000
9000
1000
011
000
1200
013
000
1400
0
Scioto Co., OH
Elliott Co., KY
Johnson Co., KY
DATUM: BASE KNOX GROUP
Kentucky River
Fault Zone
Irvine-Paint
Creek Fault
Zone
• Correlations acrossgrowth faults
• Prediction ofsandstone and shaledistribution
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
Maynardville LsNolichucky Shale
Maryville Limestone
Rogersville Shale
Rutledge Ls
Pumpkin Valley Sh
Rome Formation
Rome Fm-Middle
Shady DolomiteBasal SandstonePrecambrian
Rome Fm-Lower
8000
9000
10000
11000
12000
13000
14000
Co
na
sau
ga
Gro
up
Ro
me F
m.
Pre-Knox
Type Log
U.S. Signal
Elkhorn Coal
Johnson Co.
Kentucky
Gamma ray shaded
By log-calculated
lithologies
FEET
0 89,186
PETRA 9/30/2004 5:37:50 PM
Cross Section Index Map
North
South
SW
NE
Kentucky River Fault Zone
Irvine-Paint Creek shelf
Irvine-Paint Creek Fault Zone
RowanKY Elliott
KY
Elliott
KY MorganKY
MorganKY
Wolfe
KY
Breathitt
KY
Perry
KY
Leslie
KY
<7.63MI> <7.86MI> <7.17MI> <16.66MI> <5.91MI> <12.60MI> <11.93MI> <11.95MI>
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0 200GR
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 200GR
6000
7000
7000
8000
7000
7000
8000
9000
1000
011
000
1200
0
7000
8000
9000
1000
011
000
8000
9000
8000
9000
North South
1,000 feetC
ON
AS
AU
GA
RO
ME
Grenville
Basement
PulaskiKY
JacksonKY
LeeKY
WolfeKY Johnson
KY MingoWV
LincolnWV
<42.20MI> <19.75MI> <20.67MI> <35.95MI> <30.91MI> <24.92MI>
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
0 200GR
2 3RHOB
0 200GR
2 3RHOB0.3-0.1NPHI
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1000
0
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1000
011
000
1200
0
7000
8000
9000
1000
011
000
1200
013
000
1400
0
1100
012
000
1300
014
000
1500
016
000
1700
018
000
1900
0
1100
012
000
1300
014
000
1500
016
000
1700
018
000
1900
0
HS=175000
SW NE
PETRA 10/1/2004 6:29:01 PM (cross section.CST)
1,000 feet
From Rankey and
others, 1994
Conasauga
Trangressive-
Regressive
Cycles
Eastern
Tennessee
Outcrops
Wayne
LawrenceElliott
Carter
Morgan
JohnsonMartinFEET
0 34,330
PETRA 4/25/2014 6:18:23 PM
Rome Trough Production
Inland 529 White(32 bbl/day Rome)
Exxon
1 Smith
(RGVL
core,
mud log
show)
Homer Field Carson 1 Kazee
11MMCFD
Ashland 1 Williams(1MMCFD Nolichucky Sh.)
Bruin Ex. 1 Young(PTD 15,000’)
Faults: SurfaceBasement
Ashland #1 Williams,
Johnson Co.
IP 1.05 MMCFD from fractured Nolichucky Shale @
6,200 ft
1.2BCF with 42,000 bblcondensate since 1985
Core in Nolichucky, but low TOC - not the source
2011 Production: 7.7 MMCFGwith 171 bbl condensate
51570ASHLAND EXWILLIAMS,
JOHNSONKY
0 200GR
8 18CALI
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 10PE
Maynardville Ls
Nolichucky Sh
Maryville Ls
Rogersville Sh
7000
8000
9000
1000
0
LogDepth(ft)
LogDepth(ft)
6000 6000
7000 7000
8000 8000
9000 9000
10000 10000
11000 11000
HS=1
PETRA 4/28/2014 2:20:52 PM
0 200GR
8 18CALI
2 3RHOB
0.3 -0.1NPHI
0 10PE
Maynardville Ls
Nolichucky Sh
Maryville Ls7000
LogDepth(ft)
LogDepth(ft)
6000 6000
7000 7000
PETRA 4/28/2014 2:22:15 PM
Cambrian Source Rocks in Rome Trough
GammaRay
0Caliper8 18
Bulk Density2 3
200
DEP
TH(ft
)
EXXON 1 SMITH, J PAPI No.: 4709901572
Wayne Co., WV
TOC
0 5
Ro
gers
ville
Sh
ale
11140
11150
11160
11170
11180
11190
11200
%g/cc
TOC range 1.2–4.4%, n=4
RTC Maturity and Kerogen Data
Fluorescent (UV) Light
Liptodetrinite
Solid Bitumen Solid Bitumen
Rogersville Organic Petrography
Bitumen Reflectance11167 11178 11191 11197
Average Ro random 1.76 1.80 1.80 1.84Maximum Ro random 2.11 2.11 2.04 2.10
Minimum Ro random 1.50 1.47 1.53 1.59
Standard deviation 0.14 0.16 0.13 0.13
Observations 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00
Calculated Ro equivalent 1.49 1.51 1.51 1.54(Ro random * 0.618) + 0.4
(Jacobs, 1989)
Indicated Tmax from
calculated Ro equiv. 480 482 482 484
Spectral Fluorescence
11167 11178 11191 11197Lambda maximum 638 648 648 645
Indicated Ro 1.35 1.45 1.45 1.45
Indicated Tmax from
Lambda max. 473 479 479 479
11125
11135
11145
11155
11165
11175
11185
11195
11205
410 420 430 440 450 460 470 480 490
De
pth
(ft
)
Tmax ( C)
Exxon Smith Rogersville Shale Tmax Data
Geomark
Humble
Weatherford
StratoChem (Noprep)
StratoChem (Solvent)
Oil Window Condensate/Wet Gas
Dry Gas
Rogersville Tmax Data Variability by Lab
min0 10 20 30 40 50
pA
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
FID1 A, (Z:\HP6890~1\HPCHEM\1\DATA\H01-1218\WE32682A.D)
n-C8
n-C9 n-C1
0
n-C1
1
n-C1
2 i-C
13 i-C
14 n-
C13
i-C15
n-C1
4
i-C16
n-C1
5
n-C1
6 i-C
18 n-
C17
Pr
n-C1
8 P
hy
n-C1
9
n-C2
0
n-C2
1
n-C2
2
n-C2
3
n-C2
4
n-C2
5
n-C2
6
n-C2
7
n-C2
8
n-C2
9
n-C3
0
n-C3
1
n-C3
2
n-C3
3
n-C3
4
19
17
1513
pr
ph
Bitumen Extract -Rogersville Shale
No. 1 SmithWayne Co., WV
11,161.5 ft
Oil – Source Rock Correlation15
13
17
19
ph
pr
Oil*– Maryville Limestone No. 529 WhiteBoyd Co., Ky
7,574 – 7,598 ft
*Data provided by Richard W. Beardsley
Shale Mineralogy• XRD data from the
Rogersville and Nolichucky shales
• Rogersville has:
– Less clay
– More quartz & carbonate
• Increasedbrittleness
Clay
CarbonateQFM
Nolichucky Sh(Ashland Williams)
Rogersville Sh(Exxon Smith)
Drilling depth to Rogersville
Shale:
8,000–10,000 ft eastern Kentucky
Wayne
Lawrence
GreenupMason
LewisOwen Robertson
LawrenceElliott
FayetteMontgomery
Woodford
Powell
Madison MagoffinWolfe
Jackson OwsleyKnott
Rockcastle
Letcher
Bracken
HarrisonBoyd
Fleming Carter
ScottNicholas
RowanBourbonFranklin
Bath
MorganClark
Menifee
JohnsonJessamine MartinMercer
Estill
Garrard
FloydPike
Lee
Breathitt
Boyle
Lincoln
Perry
Clay
PulaskiLaurel
Leslie
Grant
Pendleton
13,891
10,699
7,447
8,0737,875
8,339
6,800
7,9897,782
8,529
8,919
8,785
7,774
7,364
5,550
9,115
9,334
9,580
8,804
9,849
9,202
7,127
7,883
10,6778,559
8,124
10,209
5,387
8,754
FEET
0 93,975Zone: FMTOPS - ROGERSVILLE_SH [RTC] IS PRESENT
PETRA 3/24/2011 10:11:45 AM
COUNTY: PERRYOWSLEY
KNOTT
McDowell
BREATHITT
LEE
FLOYD
PIKE
COUNTY: ESTILL
WOLFE
Wyoming
MAGOFFIN
POWELLMARTIN
JOHNSON
Mingo
MENIFEE
Raleigh
Logan
MORGAN
MONTGOMERY
ELLIOTT
COUNTY: BATH
Boone
LAWRENCE
COUNTY: ROWAN LincolnWayne
CARTERFLEMING
BOYD
Putnam
MASON
Cabell
Kanawha
LEWIS
GREENUP
Lawrence
RoaneSciotoAdams Gallia
Mason
CalhounJackson
EXXON 1 SMITH, J P
Bruin Expl 1 Young, S
CABOT 50 AMHERST INDUST.
FEET
0 104,167
PETRA 9/8/2014 9:26:02 AM
Emerging Cambrian
Rogersville Shale Play 2014
Bruin Exploration #1 YoungLawrence County, Kentucky
• Vertical stratigraphic test permitted to 15,000 ft in the Rome Fm. Drilled late 2013, total depth not known.
• Oil and gas permit issued in 2014 to test well
• Logs, samples from strat test held confidential for 5 years; completion report to be released February 28, 2015.
• Well currently shut-in
Cabot #50 Amherst Industries,Putnam County, WV
• New permit for 14,000 ft gas well to test Rogersville Shale
• Location along strike with Exxon Smith and Bruin wells
Rogersville Shale Summary
• 5,000 to 10,000 ft deep in eastern Kentucky
• 2–4.8% TOC in parts, and has generated gas & condensate
• Up to 1,100 ft thick in Kentucky, but limited to deeper parts of Rome Trough- and not all is organic rich
• Active leasing in several eastern Kentucky counties; expecting new permits before year-end
Conclusions
• Viable petroleum system exists in Rome Trough. Rogersville Shale (Conasauga Gp) is primary source interval.
• Conasauga stratigraphic framework for 3-state area is key to predicting source rock distribution
• Rogersville unconventional play should be possible in higher TOC areas, but need to consider depth and economics.
Conclusions (cont.)
• Source rock quality in Rogersville is variable–not a uniform rich source. Controls on TOC distribution not well understood.
• Shallower, less mature areas of RT likely more liquids-prone than deeper areas in W. Va.
• Structure data (seismic, gravity, magnetics) will be a key tool in developing the Rogersville
From Ryder and others, 2005USGS open file report
Mud Log ShowRogersville
Shale Interval,
Exxon #1 Smith
Wayne County, WV