In eastern Pennsylvania the stratigraphic sequence ranges in age from Early Cambrian to Early Pennsylvanian; in southeastern Pennsylvania, Triassic rocks are present also. It is estimated that the total section is more than 30,000 ft (9,140 m) thick adjacent to the Appalachian front in east-central Pennsylvania. Satisfactory reservoir rocks are present throughout the stratigraphic sequence, and adequate source materials are also evident.

Northeastern Pennsylvania (Pocono-Catskill region) is in the Appalachian Plateau province. Southeastern Pennsylvania is within the Valley and Ridge and Piedmont provinces. Many local structures are present in the report area.

All of the Pennsylvania oil and gas production now is centered in western Pennsylvania. Only one small subcommercial gas pool has been discovered in eastern Pennsylvania in Lackawanna County.

The Pocono-Catskill region offers the best prospects for future production. The folded and faulted Valley and Ridge province is somewhat prospective, but the Piedmont province, including Triassic basinal rocks, is not a likely future petroleum province. Cambrian through Devonian strata are considered the most promising as reservoirs of undiscovered hydrocarbons in eastern Pennsylvania.

Nearness to the highly populated metropolitan areas along the eastern seaboard and the need for locating suitable structures for underground storage of natural gas offer some inducements for future petroleum exploration in eastern Pennsylvania.

Northern New Jersey is included in the report area. It does not appear to be as promising an area for future petroleum production as eastern Pennsylvania.