> It looks like about 9,000 ft deep on average? Here’s link to environmental site i just found, but their maps are probably accurate.
It may be 9000 ft in some places, but in Western New York, it’s more like one or two hundred feet. My former employer and at least 3 of my friends have their own gas wells. Drilling can cost $10K to $20K, but costs can be reclaimed very quickly, by selling the excess gas to the gas company.
In West Virginia a large number of Marcellus wells are already producing. More are being drilled everyday. In this area IIRC they go to 12,000’. A shallow well to less than 5,000’ takes about a week to drill. My guess is it costs about $200,000 (shallow). That includes the drilling rig for about a week, the site prep., casing and cementing, logging the well after it’s to depth and fracking. A Marcellus around here would cost quite a bit more. Much bigger well location, bigger rig, More drilling time. Way more water, etc. Around here it seems like the rig is on location for about three weeks.
I would like to get back to work in the Oil and Gas industry. My job depends on drilling. So I say drill baby drill.
“in Western New York, it’s more like one or two hundred feet”
That would be in the water table. 200 feet is 60 yards.
It’s probably about 2,000 feet, which is VERY shallow.
(I am an oil driller; own a drilling company in New Mexico.)