AboutSoheil Moayedi Expertise I`ve studied Petroleum Engineering, and so I can answer all general questions about petroleum genesis and different petroleum exploration methods. I`ve worked on the source of non-hydrocarbon gases and the relationship between conventional well logs and geochemical properties of the source rock and petroleum.
Experience
Experiences:
Petroleum Geochemistry
Well Logging Interpretation
Petroleum Systems
Petroleum Exploration
Marketing of Oil Tools
Marketing of Pipe Handling Equipments
Organizations
2006-Present: Hamrah Poushesh Oil and Gas Company (HPOGC) - http://www.hpogc.com
2004-2006: National Geoscience Database of Iran (NGDIR) - http://www.ngdir.com
Education/Credentials:
MSc in Petroleum Engineering - Exploration
BSc in Mining Engineering - Exploration
Expert: Soheil Moayedi Date: 7/7/2008 Subject: oil seeps in springs
Question I have a property near the Bedford/Somerset county line in Pennsylvania, it is about 22 miles north of the mason-dixon line. Approx coordinates, 39 degrees 54'48.6" N
and 78 degrees 39' 58.5" West. Many of my neighbors are being solicited for gas exploration leases in connection with gas discovery in the marcellus shale formation. Many years ago, a gas exploration company would pay my family about $1 per year for an option to lease the property for exploration. I am no longer certain of the company name but they discontinued their annual option about 20 years ago. This is all background. My actual question is this:
The property has many springs and seeps on it. Some active all year and others only in the spring. The one thing that they all have in common is that they have a film of oil on top of the water. I seriously doubt that this is a man-made phenomenon as my great grandmother would mention how oily the the water was in one particular spring when she was a girl in the late 19th century. This is isolated land with no industrial activity anywhere nearby. Do this oil seepage mean anything? Could this be an indication of oil or gas under my property? If so, how would one proceed from here? Presently the closest producing gas wells are about 30 miles east of me. I know of no oil wells anywhere near me. I have never seen these oil seeps on any of my neighbors' properties except one that is just across my property line. They are spread out pretty much all over about 140 acres of my property.
Thank you.
Answer Dear Glenn, thanks for your question. According to you explanation, it seems that you are talking about oil shale. Some kind of shale has a high content of organic matters, which are, let's say, some kind of oil. They are actually petroleum. For your information, petroleum (including oil and gas) are produced from dead bodies of ancient micro planets and animals in oceans and sees. Gradually, after being burden by overlaying layers in oceans, under high pressure and temperature, they have been turned into petroleum. Due to higher preserving condition in shale, usually they are being formed in shale and then after 100s of years they are expelled and migrate to other formations which could act like reserves, like sandstones.
Back to your question, we are talking about shale under your property which contains petroleum, but never have been expelled. Due to high cost of extracting them from shale, they are not economically considered as potential oil reserves. Maybe in near future, due to high oil prices these days, oil shale becomes economic.
