The Utica shale occurs across a broad area of northeastern North America, in both the Canadian and U.S. portions of the Appalachian province. It is Ordovician in age and very thermally mature. Vitrinite reflectance values range from 1.1% Ro to 4%. It’s also particularly calcareous, consisting 40% to 70% of calcite minerals. Clay content is 10% to 35% and quartz content is generally less than 20%.
Total organic content (TOC) varies from 0.3% to 2.5% by weight, hydrogen index is low and pressure gradient is 0.6 psi per foot. According to industry estimates, the Utica contains between 25- and 160 Bcf of gas in place per section.
To date, the focus of Utica exploration has been in Quebec in the St. Lawrence lowands. Here, the Utica occurs at depths around 6,000 feet and achieves up to 750 feet in thickness. This fairway is bounded on the west by the Yamaska growth fault and on the east by Logan’s Line, a deep fault that scribes the structural break between the Appalachian mountains and the Canadian Shield.
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