Oil and Gas Resources

Edwin Drake and his well at Titusville, Pa. (Click for larger image).

“Colonel” Edwin L. Drake’s successful oil well in Titusville, Pa., in 1859 initiated an industry upon which most of our modern lives depend. Oil and natural gas have become essential commodities. While the earliest uses were for sources of light and heat, modern uses also include lubricating oils, fuels for everything from jets to manufacturing facilities, plastics, vinyl, paint, and synthetic fabrics. Some of the world's largest corporations are concerned with various aspects of the oil and gas industry: exploration, production, refining, marketing, and research. For more detailed information see Pennsylvania Geology, v. 29, no. 1.*

Marcellus Shale
Source Rock Database

Sources of general information include the map below (Map 10, Fourth Edition, 2007)* and Educational Series 8, Oil and Gas in Pennsylvania* (614 KB).

• For more information, email the Pittsburgh Office of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey.
• Directions and address for the Pittsburgh Office.

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