A paper describing the results of two hydraulic fracturing events. From the paper: "The current natural gas supply problems in the United States arc encouraging research into new or underdeveloped gas sources. One such source is the Devonian Shale sequence of Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. These thick shale deposits contain large gas resources, but have not been fully exploited because of the severely restricted gas well flow rates. Shale wells must be artificially stimulated to improve gas deliverability to a commercial level, and research is underway to develop a stimulation method suited to the Devonian Shale. This report describes a performance comparison of two wells completed in the Shale near Youngstown, Ohio: one stimulated conventionally with hydraulic fracturing, the other with a nitrogen/water foam treatment. Both wells have comparable reservoir sections and received equivalently sized stimulation treatments. Drilling and fracture programs for both wells are discussed along with short-term gas production tests conducted to evaluate the fracture treatments. Early indications show that the foam fracturing method is better suited to the reservoir conditions found in the Devonian Shale, resulting in much faster fracturing fluid clean-up and higher initial gas production than the conventional water method."

A paper discussing the results of a hydraulic fracturing operation. From the paper: "This report describes a large-scale foam fracturing operation performed on a Devonian Shale well in Jackson County, W. Va. Here the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) in cooperation with Consolidated Gas Supply Corp. (CGSC) conducted a foam frac using 973 bbl. water, 2160 MSCF nitrogen, and 155,000 lbs sand proppant. The gross perforated formation interval is 3238-3629 ft. in W. L. Pinnel No. 12041 near Cottageville, Jackson County. The frac test was conducted to help evaluate the effectiveness of foam fracturing in the low-pressure water sensitive Devonian Shale of the Appalachian Basin. The report details the frac job and the well clean-up period with field problems encountered. Also described is the post-frac logging program run to define created vertical fracture extent and gas influx into the well bore. A post-frac deliverability test performed on the well is described."