js vi. LEIGHTON Bulletin No. 78 June 12, 1923. 9, 6S /y: COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Sul 76 | mec re ey itt = DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL APPAIRS James F, Woodward, Secretary — BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY George H. Ashley, State Geologist GAS IN LEIDY TOWNSHIP, CLINTON COUNTY, PENNA. 3y Meredith E. Johnson Introduction, In the past twelve months, the Clinton Natural Gas & Oil Company of Renovo, Pa., has demonstrated that gas exists in commercial quantities in Leidy township, Clinton County. To determine something of the structure and stratigraphy and to get light on future developments, the author visited this newly developed rieid in the latter part of April, 1923. Leidy township in the northwest corner of Clinton County is in a sparsely populated region of high, flat-topped wooded hilis and narrow, deep valleys. Kettle Creek is the only stream of any importance in the township and most of the population lives along the banks of this stream. No railroads traverse the township and all supplies have to be brought in by wagon or motor-truck from Westport, the nearest station on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The main roac (along the valley of Kettle Creek) in dry weather is hard and easily traveled, but in winter or after heavy rains transportation is 4 problen,. and The massive Pottsville conglomerate caps most of the hills/as the dip of the strata is low, the hilltops are flat and at about the same elevation, No topographic map has as yet been made of this district, the only maps available being inaccurate or on too smali a scale to permi’ maxing exact locations. It is to be hoped that funds will be avail- able soon for the continuation on a larger scale of the topographic mapping of this State. The map contained in this report is based upon one prepared by the State Department of Forestry for its own use, ey 4 byl " N 4 ‘ a t ' 4 Res Sig hn fen : A He ddl ae pe t ee may oC od ] Hh? Le Agee Sa > Divi ® } 1 \ [ ee 1d i i Fann ) ) ve Py SE ‘Nake ieaunged, att RG Mian pli a bet a PUNO NO HL Ng ak A 4 ¢ 4 Ph OR ap : “ WENA hac eunht eal apePnenao vi } SAPO ah MA x PA ca ae by \ f i \ " " VY A, f 4s A : 4 ’ i, ad Ra SAGAR NIT a i ¥ Ps Wie Hiatt cla ay t oy) we ‘ ’ { ane r “ a ‘ Oe A , eats fi ; y : ‘ ‘ ¥ * 4 Nd 4 - k v we i ree Cet New i oie Ae EN FE ' wre ui AG 4 +f fs aM ‘ a * ¢ Vite s Why , ) , y Ou ‘ Tae WO" Ver ‘ ee is ‘ ‘ Veal ete dct Nee an ey PY AMO WEI A VAAL my r ‘ . t ry o, ydily [ hay . Bry |; i [yi ’ iy dig! hive’ he Al nh a Cine Od us ‘ lt i he vi rel® | 4 ‘ bi ‘ ehh ee 4 1 GN } ‘ | a] { ‘ i h a ; tw im Be ity / Ary Le f ae te aC Dy iy ay Ge ” 1 ) 7 ‘ ‘ ‘ j eo a Plies i vie Anh ey aed With ' Pid tet ai att td " ‘ hi NA i, LTS Meee | hy Wi it ae Aa et tie d) hae dt Slt Stratigraphy. A fairly complete section extending from the top of the Pottsville formation to the midcle of the Pocono, is exposed on the steep hill slope back (northeast) of Renovo, At this point the following section was measured: Pottsville conglomerate ~ - - ---+-+-+-+=-- 200 ft. Mauch Chunk red shales (and concealed) -- 77 ft. Pocono sandstone and shale - - - - = += = = 550 £t, The Pottsville conglomerate as exposed here is very hard and massive and consists of gray to white grains and small pebbles of quartz. In the sunlight the quartz grains sparkle in such a manner as to readily distinguish it even at a distance from all other fornma- tions outcropping in this region. The Mauch Chunk formation is indicated only by a red, clay soil, the rogk not being exposed. It was impossible to determine how much of the 77 foot measured interval actually consists of red shale. The Pocono formation consists chiefly of a fine to medium grained, yellowish. sandstone often having a faint greenish tint, Some shale is interbedded with the sandstone, and in the lower part of the section two thin, red shale bands are exposed. These bands are lenticular and occur between beds of yellowish, cross-bedded sandstone, All the gas -wells-on Kettle Creek start near the base of the Pocono formation, pass through the Catskill, and bottom in the Chemung. The gas comes from a horizon corresponding to that of the Clarendon Sand of Warren County, Structure, Renovo is near the center of a broad syncline, called the Karthaus-Renovo* syncline. The axis of this syncline almost parallels the course of the West Branch of Susquehanna River and in . general has a N. 60° BE, trend, In traveling up Kettle Creek one novices a steady southeast dip of two or three degrees until Spicewood fun is reached. A few hundred feet farther, at McCoy's Run, there is & pronounced dip to the northwest. Evidently’the axis of an anticline, which we will call the Kettle Creek anticline, passes between these two runs - probably quite near to Spicewood Run. The trend of the Kettle Creek anticline as plotted from dips observed in the field, is Shown in figure 1. This map also shows the location of all wells drilled in the Kettle Creek field to date, LLL LCL DLL COLCA EE CE Aa LG AOA EAE CC tO tetas ponent eee reheat eee tet * Second Pennsylvania Geol, Survey, Vol. G4, p. 30, 1880 EUS gor’ et pr ker seat ant | fo Lesoqxa: ran fe eit tatoe ntgd ON ea ny mie ee adenouin: son atte eer oat: WR ee ER ae > hee) wekate day Stud” ou Peay. cs Mae aE er ant nih sii eh Dae etrotta Gas n° O09 hire SYadk vo ov set) Red Rees ee ot tenets ‘es eee id otf a9, © Jetag iverno ohne anton oa ok NETS Oe PRS EaTS SD OM ry rutent 2 dave of: see GNtetsS arp Og Ft Higtinss acts at AIO D oS OEE OAD) ROMS idan eae ‘he KIS KE Seite ke at i wives KHOLGaT ERAT ted ar ars ote Lion vals. See: owe elie, HANSeDS PE at do tails: 3 sete an Bo he) set ont ‘ ons von oaeerom of eo oe SPE ReOge eeMe. Wy AHIROGRS gnbed JOM. shoe oor: Sov Ro PRS Peto HORS ie STS ea Hatwoand Poor Ty: | iy’ rho OF ehh? BT Reese eee bed eae) merteiyoh ondpod| ant Cave uot fait sebeocia QS. A ev feae SO aoe tee ip ix tose odd. to SUA awk aie Uk RRs CP Ee Ci Ee Kabhs : ‘ : ao ALA ty tral aye. wheat Neon Dee plage Oh onthe DR hk ,etotebune bobbodweoeta: pee Etwio Lt tes, i eo ead roots td ‘ke oped eid sake Piasd MOOT OSPR Be: OL tow cite parumads aid at nogihed haw, isco ey cut ogo mit @eeg itdd saa woh weal gts Lo Rad ot woo nageetees io Sd ted & MOTs CORO BRR es Pa eek a One we ne Ci a a? 7) P P xb Ti: OPERA HEAT Tamer. HOCIR MOE I au ete: © pretee: A my ict i SPOL EHD, SOL ONES PS 2 Bey PT IO a eae Gt WMO ) ae RR iy ’ t ‘1 sag CN Bb. seekbaaid i ne Teens: Gel ome. abi, TO" et Spinal Sam se pyar WOE pire ame i nt fire See aetna erm Sy: Baan ng Hee. eld. ae eee: Gera, ses swere) Gls om cere tay dh SNe ae aig se ue en ke houasege Lede eootaad oondt 10: OURO Ge wm eene es C78 } oan oot BP eODS Ra Rete eee paghord Wot h 38 ‘ SE Pra Tie Ke es Paced Eto ab EF Se is EOS elit BY ee ae watt neat ot esenan: poms Congr, uae phegen ear Aisa 4 oft fo oxosd gilt) amit Soomana gy ed sea at hip eh datte one i (kp BEOET: BAN Ce SeRReRds ni ane Neil rhe WS ech 8H Ol Legsgns eens pkiaw Jie to aobteoos ! ONT atee ee Ue # sf Mat th Ne ee ee he - + oe bel % Fig, I. Kettle Creek Gas Field, Leidy Township, Clinton County, Se eee oY | ene cany + a et ne ne ee a } | BF Ua: ea ee ee | EGLINTON CO. yA Csremanh j yess P : iP. BE: fast ' YS P as ya nds FO { - ay 4 ee 2.” “ Az a 7 \ Py oe eh kes “ / mf ? ‘ Nabe ‘ \ H i, \ | ‘ | ; ae uy } } LEGEND» % Gas weil Ay Showing direction of Cip- © Location + Ory hole, showing of gas. + Dry hole y ® Driiting well te Abandoned £AaS wes} 3 -* : me be , Hk + Wen'y it ' : 4 ve Wie in fe Hons ays a ee ee Ate ase rit ol mB hve ‘ia Lay i { De! Vig | a | mere | Wa Shean ‘ Lyris te ‘ * ‘ , ine ne i 4 ; : \ P ‘ * im Meee wi rt ea ee i ae ott ‘ yy ‘ oj os 03 Ssh m iq i# . d , : ; 4 me a alike here: are} ny " m { 7 : : wth” ; 7 oe ‘ ’ } : i > ure “ \ f oy 3 i ‘ 4 ¥ ‘ " ‘ hy : ie: n I ) mats ‘ ‘\ » \ ; a _ Am, ~ 7 . ; a * %, 1 * 5 4 » \ ' ie ie ¢ . } Ma oy , 2 \ ”~ L * \ ps ¥ : a ‘., we 5 J y* Pi : ‘ he A ‘ ‘ | 1 “ ¥ ‘ % ‘ is ¥. a ‘ ain ¥ ‘ iis ? | ae ‘ ™ fe / ¥ PK H " y \ ‘ " + e es a0 4 a) we n a we ‘ \ A ‘ ; ern ‘ ee . a a “ ae ¥i i ¥ Ge retest” KETTLE CREEK WELL SECTIONS FIG. 2. 4 tas i > 3 ‘ a — 2S EOE Se ee —_——_— ----—------ + a4 ¢ S . Re RS eects SS ee eee ee ee — ve aan : ty ‘ a ee 3+ to bot: : | § aoa 3 3 es & “ oo —_— wn é ied = = £9 = SSe <3 pl Ie a eee De EO I a ae EE RS en ae eek ae Se Ss 2 i ee a eee eal eee a ee : ; ; je Qa —) 2 oO oO oO oO a ey o 2Q 2 o oO > oO S oO Zz Q ra) 3 o oO Oo 2 oO oO 2 5S Oo Oo Oo oO o Oo i) Oo o Q oO roa) a) ~ Oo WwW <¢ a | - C3 3 ot Ww) oo pi o> a oe ~ tom 2572 LEGEND BH Acdsh. T.0.* Total depth i thaw. of Gas ChoctChosolate HoO*Water @* Show. of oi! 4 f= Sandstone 2 4 *&: Gas Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/gasinleidytownshOOjohn_0O From figure 1 it will be seen that only two wells, No, 11 and No, 13, have been drilled close to the axis of the anticline, No.’ ll is the best well so far obtained, with a rock pressure in April, 1923 of close to 700 pounds per square inche The No, 13 well found no sand at the producing horizon and hence proved a "duster." All the remaining wells, with the exception of No. 3, have been drilled on the northwest flank of the anticline, Since the pitch of the anticline is to the southwest it is evident that northeast of No, il well, gas should be obtained farther down the flanks of the anticline, For this reason it is hard to see why, from the standpoint of structure, the No, 3 well was not successful, Probably the explanation lies in a "tightening" or "pinching out" of the producing sand in that Cirectione Figure 2 shows the well sections and the correlations made. It will be noticed that there is some variation in the intervals between the various red beds and sands, etc., but this is no more than would be expected. A study of the rocks exposed at the surface shows 4 Similar variation, It is greatly regretted that the detailed records of some of the wells drilled earlier are not available. The No. 5 well for instance was drilled to a depth of 3418 feet anda good record of that well would show the character of much of the Chemung formation, Just where the Pocono ends and the Catskill begins is a problen which the author will not attempt to solve, it being of little importance to the present work. Of more importance is the fact that the producing sand occurs some 275 feet beneath the lowest red bed of the Catskill formation, This position corresponds-‘closely to the Clarendon or Queen sand of Warren County, However, it is neither claimed nor believed that it is the actual eastward extension of that sand, In all probability that sand pinches out before reaching the eastward boundary of Warren County. Similarly, the chocolate colored sand lying four hundred feet beneath the producing sand, occurs in the approximate position of the Bradford sand, although it is not believed to be the same identical bed, In the remainder of this report the producing sand will be referred to as the Kettle Creek sand. Figure 2 shows also that No, 13 well is the farthest down structure and No, 10 well the farthest up structure, Well No. 6 is down the dip of the structure from wells No, 7 and Nos 8, but due to a shortening of the interval between the red beds and the Kettle Creek sand, the latter is only slightly lower at this point than at well No. 7, Structurally both the No. 6 well and the No, 9 well should be productive, The fact that they came in dry is probably due to a "Sightening" of the Kettle Creek sand at those points, Previous drilling and present development. At the time of writing (April 25, 1923) eighteen wells have been drilled in the Kettl. Creek field, The first well (No. 20) was drilled in 1864 on the Vn. Sansom property and obtained gas sufficient for domestic purposes, No record remains of the strata penetrated by the drill or of the actual quantity of gas obtained, In 1878 a second well (No, 16) was drilled - 5 « RS he , we "soraebe & HOkL ied i tiohentt “eatin: sor vs we erqoane ae ae ae Aare pon be Oh ioe tre. pei to nad deow ist Pt sett ta daaaiiton sed’ tresive af Fo deawrid soe, . ght nig t senitorina addy Wx wl std coved veda Sontadda od: oberon ONT oes t he. to. Se ate ads wort oer oom ei ett ek ve 4 POR RM 2 Y Ot eidetowd”” yews gin pg Bee Atow | vy Salt Bh Dies wietoubory att he "Pee paidontg" co “yankee » vie wee a+) Lo” PHY ani o ~ « Me: — - rim - + =e an &. . = = a = —- ee * ~~ it 3 ORBeL Gro ktalerwies ei! 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P ¢ Aes 4 i ee he By “2 iF aa a OOF 1D bed Lookteant gee wae ad 6 y ih, , i a re ws a ib, MRD 1 Wikis J ews Ohi ea odd Be! Ot Bae: eet Ea ae aniesnor | mw THO LL SAP Bl bere el lh: Cia Dae Re Sh. ey ‘. \ : A Oe oe on eae Tt eee | ie eh ol ee t¥ ty . a at “ee Mae 9 pHEMT OCIS cess 02 oy fe Hao 4 eis Ey. NY OF 7% ov MSE ff «ne ahi ei a8 plod 1 “3 we Yh bala 1s oo iin OA i Ot 8th tad 8 oO le Sok Shier sont exeiowate aay AP ry | acl a! dare bob , i at } oa Mb re Ie, ‘ SOTO hI? Ry. a; (8 @hed See sh gegemed: Lm ati? pate te ; i ; ; y “ Leow 2 Nod? oG40d eee ats watiod Viatinilea Vino el DilLworte Liaw @ a ond batons ii nll a god wat Atak we tad f a ot. wih ULdeddid: Be Neb) Det) iomeSs seas $ male tonk adm COT EO! RTE, ee ven tae a Bhs real saad hd i i Lo Gbrst ond th : toayetemel. dmaotee. nan mate LotR ey aul botLivd meoai: ven "Eile foornaie (eset f 0 ett no OBL wt SolLins oow (08 0m) ELaw Farkh t iy yarmogiug efteaniod rod es ADLOL KEE ROY. Sorkaeds: Bre sie One Be mo’ 2 ane Ate Beth 7 bet ialierrd La ii Mei to a depth of nearly 1800 feet and obtained gas sufficient to fire one boiler. Gas still escapes from this well although it was at least partially plugged and is at the present time nearly filled by pebbles and cavingse Several years later another well was drilled only 100 feet away, but no more gas was obtained than at the first. Some thirty years ago a fourth well (No. 18) was @rilled at the junction of Little Sand Run and Drury Run, Little is lkmown of this well-now although it is reported to have had a show of gas. Ww £ Med. VOOR Bi Hae ie cian’ oy fia 4 aap £ Seasnit: aoe m . ; Fait f y 4 eee er y aiph o¢ shtow piotcids baliiah aap vole ipnenne al’ pet Fait ete Eo Bee Ribbed S.J evi firiek Hoye ' ‘ i . i PU a EK ape PR eee Dt TS GORDO LD Bet eet aah 3 = ha : peti hgh apts ah sat ap e Eee. eee a ROI eS EN Neet hs salen vine ee ae eae RN SSRN INRE CSS) POURS Pat ea pera De obtits, ately HS; ie, Re ats ay PRK ORR LORNA CH it ay te Rr ee kt Ponrer See Dire it Bi ; Cee Pat nd BY wai mm Pe pA WOT i i. re e we * AO Se tee 4 et a SAW Se Be ao ae os A ie bengal odin SO ene: Cae ¥ 4 i PECRIRLT h e Ae Ve 4 i 4 $1 ive an a a G (He tu ( . oe 8 eg ‘ ch olor were: slr eee Dinche Roane ke Unde me CE: atl Sils : Gilk mae e ny ¥2 ; Ce BES! ge OR i . A linia Py ey ain Naren Ht ier EE aan: Rd Ne tishy, i ew Aya aye fh i ew fe 4. at (% eee diy ide jAS oe DIE Ati a ai Raa nec a i ge daouod ‘ oh ; ‘ortuwe { SONA, POOL? it . oye Mee aie tes cate its AYO) Mt of LOS pay" n Lele Ge dre da Repel 2 eat ahd oat pide Ai bent eke” maniontee Sire PG loci: Toe agate: ein Saree . AN S's dharma tpke 2b gt RS ea Sole. i gen es ty it etthenee ast) giorne tired Perse le We ae ee » 1 ; * y P J 4 / ¥ a Sone oe woh exe bef set eit Ware vi ii tidy woh pi , i eo hath RS cleat a inode Stes vi OM Mis ty Bey ED x4) i % i rot Ly sen a ah it: deal i Bi!) om Ney ated pb xia eee id. ORE rw Bie Pa se eae BN meres ODCRE.OR BAS: ie LE ar Se eres RAT Ms ye Ome Ort eo hah ne t Kus pio a ee eR Pee psp ha tend 2807 ; LER DS eigres A Ae ae e : 3 takita % Bi Parti gota Chie ¥ | ph i Ne Ge ie C2Gl “hie. MRD tien Eph GR rab Spa o's en’ £ Saiall ef 4 < H array ae Mow a ay se We Get. 4 Me z pe , Lead A } producing horizons above the Oriskany. The latter sand if present in this district would be at an almost prohibitive depth (about 5,900 feet). Since the Oriskany is lacking at Lock Haven, it is quite likely that it is also lacking here, Utilization, As yet no commercial quantities of gas have been produced and sold (i.e. gas has been used only for drilling and domestic purposes), The chief reason for this is the distance of the field from an available market. The nearest town of any importance is Renovo, and that is 10 miles distant in an air line. A pipe-line of that length would mean a large investment, Reasonable proof of the ability of the field to produce gas in sufficient quantities to repay the investors must first be forthcoming before embarking on such a program, wt 727 077 _—————— — NA" ii =