Unatego Landowners Association

Otego - Unadilla - Butternuts Area Residents

           Utica Shale - Total Organic Carbon Content Across Central NY

 Utica Shale TOC map. TOC increases to the SE as Utica (Flat Creek and Dolgeville members) also thickens in that direction

                           Gas Production from Shales

·         Gas production from tight shales requires maturation and cracking of oil that has been generated from live organic matter -need to have at least 2 percent TOC to begin with.

·         With increasing maturation carbon and hydrogen are lost from shale due to hydrocarbon generation.

·         Increasing thermal maturity therefore leads to decrease in TOC and hydrogen values.

·         Want shales with decent original TOC, with evidence that significant amounts of gas has formed from that TOC during thermal maturation.

                Follow the link below for further information on Utica shale & NY State geology: 

http://www.pe.tamu.edu/wattenbarger/public_html/Selected_papers/--Shale%20Gas/fractured%20shale%20gas%20potential%20in%20new%20york.pdf