You'd never know that Michigan sits on top of the second largest shale gas basins in the country.
On top of all the NG plays on your map there is the latest...
Will the Utica Shale Surpass the Barnett and Marcellus?
The Barnett and Marcellus shale plays are justifiably regarded as world class resources for natural gas and are becoming recognized for their great gas liquids potential. Thus, when industry conversation starts mentioning a North American gassy shale play that could be in the same league or eventually even more impressive than these two proven plays, both industry participants and investors become curious.
The Utica lies beneath a very large geography.
In physical extent, the Utica shale covers a geography about twice as extensive as the Marcellus (and far more extensive than the Barnett). In terms of hydrocarbon resources, no one knows the potential of the play. It is too early in its E&P lifecycle (recall that the first modern well was drilled in the Marcellus by Range Resources only in 2004). Only a few commercial wells have drilled by less than half a dozen companies but even so expectations have risen dramatically.
The Utica lies between 3,000 and 7,000 thousand feet beneath the Marcellus but extends further northwest and much further southwest. It underlies parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Ontario and Quebec. Its depth ranges from about 2 miles deep in parts of Pennsylvania to under 2,000 feet below sea level in parts of Ohio, the Great Lakes and Ontario. It is reportedly even shallower in Quebec.
DRill Baby Drill!!!