Eastern Overthrust Belt. Signs of a hoped-for awakening

Exploration for oil and gas is on the upswing in the SW Virginia sector of the Eastern Overthrust Belt in the 200-mile long portion between Lee and Montgomery Counties. In the past several months one new oil field has been opened and the area's only gas field has been revived after lying idle for 23 yr. These signs of a hoped-for awakening have been accompanied by an intense leasing program by many oil companies. This review is confined to the geology of the strongly folded and faulted area of SW Virginia. In the Overthrust area, early studies indicated that oil would be found only in portions of Lee and Scott Counties, and that other areas would contain only natural gas because of the greater intensity of regional metamorphism. Drilling so far has confirmed these forecasts. This study will be divided in a similar manner.