Map colors

The map of Columbia County used for our group is a geological map.  The colors represent different kinds of rock from different formation eras.  The brown, orange, and peach areas are potentially gas-bearing parts of the Marcellus formation.  The other parts are likely not, although some of them have coal.  Current theories are that the further south you get in the county, the less gas there will be because it's closer to the surface and may have escaped over time.  I believe the geological formation that pokes into the county in the Susquehanna valley near Bloomsburg actually outcrops the Marcellus formation.  I know that there is outcropping near Washingtonville.  The deeper it is, the more pressure there is to keep the gas in place rather than diffusing out.  Also, you wouldn't want to drill for gas where the Marcellus layer intercepts the water table, as you could contaminate drinking water.  Farther north in the county, the gas shale is deep enough to contain the gas and to be well below the water table.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Anderson on February 15, 2010 at 9:29am
Here's a larger version of that map. The area above the blue band near I-80 is of interest to gas companies, while the highest interest is in the peach section at the top.


And another geological map showing surrounding counties...


There's outcropping in the purple part near Washingtonville. And the "Jerseytown Coal Mine" is in the blue part just north of there. In the 1800s, they thought the black shale was coal.
Permalink Reply by Thomas Anderson on February 15, 2010 at 10:06am
Marcellus shale outcrop near Washingtonville:


The "Jerseytown Coal Mine":

Permalink Reply by Alex on February 15, 2010 at 10:39am
Could there be a quick break down on what the other colors mean ....trying my best to see on the Geological map but can't make the rest out.
Permalink Reply by Thomas Anderson on February 15, 2010 at 11:52am
You can view the full-size image here.
Permalink Reply by Ken on February 15, 2010 at 11:07am
Hi Tom My land is in the strip of peach right below the 1st big orange area.IS that should be a good area?? Also is that theroy proven or still just theroy?? I know 50 sixty years ago my land was checked for coal. there wasn't any there . Neighbors and preivous owner told me and parts of the holes you can still see. Is that a good thing?? Sorry for all the questions . This is the one thing I didn't quite understand . A year ago I got a letter from Mason Dixon about the gas. They later said they weren't coming here at that time. Thanks ken
Permalink Reply by Thomas Anderson on February 15, 2010 at 11:48am
I'm not a geologist and even the geologists don't apparently know everything. They have to do extensive testing from helicopters and thumper trucks to get a good idea of the mineralization. And then they drill test wells, and they don't always hit what they want. But clearly it makes sense that if the layer which would contain the shale outcrops to the surface, then there isn't likely any gas there. That much they know and is documented. My admittedly amateur take is that there's probably some gas in most areas starting a few miles north of the blue band near I-80. The further south you go toward that band, however, the riskier it is. So maybe the gas companies will eventually get there, but they want to start up at the top of the county and work down. They know there's good gas up there, and they can progressively move south until their holes start becoming unprofitable. That said, they may offer leases just to tie up the land so that others can't get it. It may be at less lucrative terms as in the north however.

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