Ashland, GRI set Appalachian venture. (Ashland Exploration Inc., Gas Research Institute)

A drilling venture between Ashland Exploration Inc. and the Gas Research Institute may lead to a better understanding of and improved performance from tight Devonian and Berea natural gas formations in the Appalachian Basin.

The joint project involves three wells located on acreage owned by Houston-based Ashland Exploration in Pike County, Ky.

J.T. Mellinger, Ashland vice president and manager of its Eastern Region, said the project gives the company an opportunity to receive information and evaluate tests on wells that would never have been reviewed in depth because of economic constraints.

Mellinger said the first two wells have been drilled, and …