Producing Oil & Gas Shales

Image source: usshales.com

Tad Patzek, UT AustinJuly 24, 2011

Acknowledgement

This research has been supported in part by a grant fromthe Sloan Foundation to the Bureau of Economic Geologyat the University of Texas in Austin and Rice University inHouston, Texas.

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Motto

Errors using inadequate data are muchless than those using no data at all.Charles Babbage, Mathematician, 1792 1871

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Barnett Shale

Source: Newark Energy, LLC

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Summary of ConclusionsTechnology matters: Newer wells are betterproducersFrom the plots of sorted cumulative gas production in9 Barnett shale counties, it is clear that the newerwells are generally more productive, sometimessignificantly, than the older wellsIn some wells, there is significant production of thehydrocarbon gas condensate and/or liquidhydrocarbonsNewer wells in general produce more water, some alot moreHigh water production is symptomatic ofhydrofracturing into the water-rich strata just aboveand perhaps below the shale

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What you will seeYou will see 9 slides with cumulative gas productionin Bcf, versus the square root of time on production inmonths (down-times removed), sorted in increasingorder from the left to rightThe production curves are color-coded according tostarting dates. In general, the newer purple wellsproduce more gas faster than the older wellsNext, you will see 9 slides with cumulativecondensate production in thousands of barrels,versus the square root of time on productionFinally, you will see 9 slides with cumulative waterproduction in thousands of barrels vs. square root oftime on productionIn some wells, water production really takes off

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Cumulative gas in Tarrant county

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Cumulative gas in Johnson county

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Cumulative gas in Denton county

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Cumulative gas in Wise county

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Cumulative gas in Parker county

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Cumulative gas in Hood county

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Cumulative gas in Hill county

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Cumulative gas in Erath county

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Cumulative gas in Jack county

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Cumulative HC liquid in Tarrant

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Cumulative HC liquid in Johnson

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Cumulative HC liquid in Denton

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Cumulative HC liquid in Wise

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Cumulative HC liquid in Parker

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Cumulative HC liquid in Hood

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Cumulative HC liquid in Hill

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Cumulative HC liquid in Erath

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Cumulative HC liquid in Jack

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Cumulative water in Tarrant county

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Cumulative water in Johnson county

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Cumulative water in Denton county

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Cumulative water in Wise county

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Cumulative water in Parker county

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Cumulative water in Hood county

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400600

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Cumulative water in Hill county

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8 0 50100 150

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Cumulative water in Erath county

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Cumulative water in Jack county

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AcknowledgementMottoBarnett ShaleSummary of ConclusionsWhat you will seeCumulative gas in Tarrant countyCumulative gas in Johnson countyCumulative gas in Denton countyCumulative gas in Wise countyCumulative gas in Parker countyCumulative gas in Hood countyCumulative gas in Hill countyCumulative gas in Erath countyCumulative gas in Jack countyCumulative HC liquid in TarrantCumulative HC liquid in JohnsonCumulative HC liquid in DentonCumulative HC liquid in WiseCumulative HC liquid in ParkerCumulative HC liquid in HoodCumulative HC liquid in HillCumulative HC liquid in ErathCumulative HC liquid in JackCumulative water in Tarrant countyCumulative water in Johnson countyCumulative water in Denton countyCumulative water in Wise countyCumulative water in Parker countyCumulative water in Hood countyCumulative water in Hill countyCumulative water in Erath countyCumulative water in Jack county