Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 27, 2017 at 14:54

The axis of Haynesville/Bossier laterals is based on the natural fractures in the rock.  The north-south axis allows the artificial fractures created by fracing a well to best intersect the natural fracture network.  The age of a fault is irrelevant.  The "throw" of a fault can be significant and was a problem before the advent of Cross Unit Lateral wells, noted by the letters HC in the state database.  With HC wells an operator does not have to drill through a fault that has a displacement too great for the ability to steer the mud motor.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by full name on June 28, 2017 at 3:41

Thanks Skip for the quick reply.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 28, 2017 at 4:03

You're welcome.  There are not a lot of faults in the LA Haynesville Fairway however some appear to have a sufficient displacement (throw) to make it inadvisable to drill a horizontal lateral through them.  Now that operators can drill up to the fault on both sides with HC wells it is somewhat likely that those will be better than average producers owing to the extensive natural fracture network often caused by a fault.

• ▶ Reply