From The Utica: Magnum Hunter Takes Delivery Of Fifth Robotic Rig; 16 Rigs On One Drilling Pad In Ohio

Oil & Gas Journal.com is reporting:

Data points:

• the Schramm T500 XD robotic rig
• traditional rigs: on rail; move left-right, front-back
• T500XD: a walking subbase, lifts the entire rig 6 inches off the ground; turn and rotate 360°.
• Can drill to 19,000 feet (not deep enough for the Bakken)

But get this:

Magnum Hunter said it has recently constructed one pad site in Ohio that can handle as many as 16 new drilling locations, eight in the Marcellus and eight in the Utica.

The press release is here.

The Utica is located "several" thousand feet below the Marcellus.

The Utica Shale is much deeper than the Marcellus. The Utica Shale elevation map shown as Figure 2 in the right column of this page has contour lines that show the elevation of the base of the Utica Shale in feet below sea level. In some parts of Pennsylvania the Utica Shale can be over two miles below sea level. However, the depth of the Utica Shale decreases to the west into Ohio and to the northwest under the Great Lakes and into Canada. In these areas the Utica Shale rises to less than 2000 feet below sea level. Beyond the potential source rock areas the Utica Shale rises to Earth's surface and can be seen in outcrop. An outcrop photo of the Utica Shale near the town of Donnaconna, Quebec, Canada is show in the right column of this page as Figure 3.

Though the vertical distance between the two is significantly different, one can think of the Bakken-Three Forks and the Marcellus-Utica. Or if purists don't like that, then, think of the "u" in Utica as "underneath" the Marcellus. I can never keep the two formations straight.