Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on February 11, 2010 at 9:49

A shale is just a kind of rock, you have sands, shales, chalks, marls, and any other numerous geologic terms. Just because a formation is a shale doesn't mean it will be productive. The only known productive gas shales, as of now, in Louisiana are the Bossier/Haynesville formations, they are present in lower Caddo/Bossier, Desoto, Red River, parts of Northwestern Natchitoches, parts of upper Sabine Parish, far western Bienville and the bottom of Webster parish. There is the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale in south Louisiana on the Miss/LA border but that is an oil play and I don't know if it will be economical for a while.

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Permalink Reply by Ginger Fife on February 11, 2010 at 13:10

Thank you for the information! There has been lots of discussion on sands, chalk, etc, now i understand what you guys are talking about--:)

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Permalink Reply by cocodrie man on February 11, 2010 at 12:06

As I drive from Baton Rouge north I see a huge Nabors rig just outside Zachary. I wonder if they are trying horizontal drilling in the Tuscaloosa. I know that area is outside the Haynesville Shale but wonder what another Shale find would do the price of natural gas.

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 11, 2010 at 12:32

cocodrie man. As Checkmateking pointed out, not all shales are gas plays. Some are oil. That would make sense with the Tuscaloosa. Wouldn't it?

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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on February 11, 2010 at 12:48

Yes the Tuscaloosa marine shale is an oil shale, it is very deep and a real challenge to complete horizontally, there are horizontal completions in the TUSC but as far as I know they aren't economical at this point.

Here is one #237776

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on February 11, 2010 at 12:54

All shales are not created equal. And the stories that I have heard from the marine shale play in S. LA. (presumably the one Checkmateking mentions) are of passing interest. The wells come in like gang busters but then have a problem with "near well bore permeability". In layman's terms, they super glue themselves shut.

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Permalink Reply by Renee S Cd1 on May 11, 2010 at 20:19

Skip - At the risk of asking a dumb question, which I've been known to do, what happens then? How do they keep from losing money on the well? Is this why no one is falling over each other to lease us in SE Shreveport?

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 11, 2010 at 23:41

Renee, the shale in SW Shreveport is the Haynesville, not the marine shale mentioned above. The challenge of urban development is cost. Not only the well but its associated infrastructure is more difficult and expensive in densely developed locations. Combine that added expense with low current gas prices and you have a formula for slow development. Many areas of the Play will have to wait for some time in the future when it is more economic to develop based on improved price.

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Permalink Reply by Renee S Cd1 on May 12, 2010 at 0:40

Somehow I read southeast Shreveport, not southeast Louisiana. I haven't had enough coffee yet!
I understand the challenges of urban development - actually, I'm kind of glad of it - BUT, I'd still like to know what happens when wells "super glue themselves shut."

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Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 12, 2010 at 0:44

It's beyond my pay grade to explain further, Renee. Maybe some other industry member can educated both of us.

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Permalink Reply by Les Bamburg on May 12, 2010 at 3:08

Renee, let's just simplify the discussion a bit. There are many shale formations in the US (along with sandstone and limestone formations). All shale formations have extremely low permeability (ie the ability to flow natural gas or oil). Because of this all new wells have to be fracture stimulated. An improperly designed frac job will not perform well which would account for any problems in future production.

There are two primary sets of factors that determine if a shale can be developed to produce oil or natural gas. One set are geologic factors such as thickness, hydrocarbon content, porosity, clay content, pressure, natural fractures, etc. The second set are economic in nature - location, population density, depth, local rules, oil or gas infrastructure, etc.

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Permalink Reply by Renee S Cd1 on May 12, 2010 at 8:00

I get it that an improperly designed frac job would cause the well to fail, or "super glue itself shut", as Skip said, but my question is still this: What happens next? How does the company keep from losing money on that well? Do they abandon it, move over and drill again, repair that same well somehow, or what? If I was a landowner with any acreage, I'd be interested in knowing. I do have family in Arkansas who are being leased north of Little Rock. Thanks.

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