Shell announces Utica gas discovery in Pennsylvania

Shell today announced new discovery wells (Neal and Gee) within the Utica formation in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, USA. These wells were drilled to a total measured depth of approximately 4,420 and 4,724 metres (14,500 and 15,500 feet) with lateral lengths of 945 metres (3,100 feet) at Gee and 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) at Neal, respectively. These results are comparable to the best publically announced thus far in the emerging Southeast Ohio Utica dry gas play.

The Gee and Neal discovery wells extend the sweet spot of the Utica formation beyond Southeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, where previous discoveries have been located, and into an area where Shell holds a major leasehold position of approximately 430,000 acres. The Gee well was drilled over 100 miles to the northeast of the nearest horizontal Utica producer, and had an initial flowback rate of 11.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Gee has been on production for nearly one year. Shell began production of the Neal well in February, with observed peak flowback rates of 26.5 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

“This successful discovery is the result of solid technical work in our onshore business” said Marvin Odum, Shell’s Upstream Americas Director. “Last year, we refocused our resources plays strategy to select fewer plays with specific scale and economic characteristics to best suit our portfolio.  The Appalachian basin is one of those areas, and these two high-pressure wells both exhibit exceptional reservoir quality.”

Shell is currently awaiting results from four additional Utica wells drilled in Tioga County, and anticipates those wells will produce later this year.

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