NEW BERLIN – Much has been written, discussed and belabored concerning the quantity and quality of natural gas pockets within the Marcellus Shale, but the Marcellus isn’t the only layer of ancient earth that’s rich with the highly desired energy source.
Just exactly how many layers, or plays, within the natural gas industry are beneath us? How much can each layer produce? And, which layers are the gas companies really after?
The answers to those questions and more will be offered up at the second public meeting of the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Unadilla Valley High School. Petroleum Geologist Don Zaengle, a member of the Elmira-based law firm of Chris Denton, the Coalition’s counsel, will make a presentation and answer questions from landowners about their mineral rights.
Zaengle recently joined the Southern Tier’s natural gas leasing go to firm after working for many years in exploration, development and production for oil companies, such as Shell Oil. He holds a master’s degree in geology and a bachelor’s of science degree in geology and water resource management.
Hundreds of landowners in Chenango, Broome, Madison, Otsego and Delaware have signed leases with gas companies since new horizontal drilling technology and the country’s focus on finding alternatives to high priced oil helped to put the Marcellus on the radar.
Experts predict that the Marcellus could contain several hundred trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is twice the size of the Barnett Shale in Texas. Natural gas companies first began employing new horizontal drilling technology in the Dallas/Ft. Worth region a few years ago. Once the technique was proven successful, leasing offers to landowners in the region went from $2,000 an acre to $25,000 plus royalties of up to 25 percent.
According to Todd Barnes, a member of the steering committee of the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition, local property owners who have leased their land have unfortunately done so “without a lot of protection or understanding the number of layers or gas plays beneath them,” he said.
