Coring of Well R-109 (Washington County, Ohio) was accomplished in August 1976. A total of 25 samples were collected. Hydrocarbon gas analyses indicate that higher chain hydrocarbon gases (C/sub 2/-C/sub 5/) make up a significant portion of total hydrocarbons in the shales, but methane is still the dominant single gas. Distinct relationships exist between the carbon and hydrocarbon gas contents, showing increase in hydrocarbon gas contents with increasing carbon. Similar relationships between hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas contents exist, though they are not as pronounced. Gas contents appear not to be related to the bulk densities in any quantitative manner, though organic contents (carbon and hydrogen) seem to be related to bulk density values much more clearly. R-109 shales are virtually impermeable to gases and other fluids, as attempted helium gas permeability measurements indicated extremely small (< 10/sup -12/ Darcy) permeability values.

The design of an apparatus which will allow direct detection of stable fractional elementary charges if present on matter at the level of 10/sup -24/ per nucleon is described in detail. This method depends upon production of a highly uniform and parallel stream of conductive spheres which are charge analyzed by passage through a static electric deflecting field. 6 references.