The Berea Sandstone is one of the better known rock formations in Ohio. It occurs at shallow depths throughout a broad belt in central Ohio and crops out to the north and west of these counties. Stratigraphically, the Berea Sandstone is part of the Waverly Group and is underlain by the red and gray Bedford Shale and overlain by the black Sunbury Shale, all of which are of Early Mississippian age.

In Ashland and Medina Counties, the Berea may be divided into two separately identifiable units. The upper unit, called the "blanket" Berea in outcrop, is approximately equivalent to the "cap" Berea in the subsurface. The second unit, which lies below the "cap" Berea varies considerably in its thickness. The thickness of the Berea Sandstone (excluding the "cap") ranges from zero to over 125 ft (38 m) in the study area. The thickness changes occur within very short distances (i.e., 100-200 ft or 30-60 m) owing to the original depositional conditions responsible for the formation of the sand body.

The traditional, long-standing, and generally accepted view is that the Berea Sandstone was deposited in Ashland and Medina Counties in southward-flowing river channels. More recent drilling in these counties has demonstrated that these sand channels are not continuous, but are isolated sandstone bodies in which petroleum has accumulated.

The reservoir capacity of the Berea is between 8 and 22% with an average porosity of 15%. The sandstone consists of loosely cemented, medium to fine-grained quartz with only rare shale breaks below the "cap" Berea. In Ashland and Medina Counties, Berea wells generally produce oil. Initial production in this area ranges between 1 or 2 bbl and to 40 BOPD after treatment. Reservoirs in the Berea Sandstone generally are productive where the sandstones are thick. They are also productive where the sandstone is thinner, but high on structure. Although a high structural position is preferred, the critical consideration is the thickness of the sandstone body and the reservoir geometry.

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