Oil & Gas Pro

USGS drops new numbers on natural gas found in Bossier formation. It's years worth.

USGS drops new numbers on natural gas found in Bossier formation. It's years worth.

BY LIZ SWAINE | Staff writer  5/7/2026

The U.S. Geological Survey has released numbers that even some of their staff members refer to as “sizable” - a 10-year quantity of natural gas trapped in rock under northwest Louisiana and east Texas. 

In January, USGS issued an estimate of 47.9 trillion cubic feet of gas they believe could be present in the Gulf Coast Haynesville formation.

On Wednesday, it was the Bossier formation’s turn: 343.5 trillion cubic feet of “undiscovered, technically recoverable” but perhaps not economically viable gas believed to be in the Bossier formation through to the Western Haynesville, an area that generally comprises Leon, Freestone, Limestone, and Robertson counties in east Texas.

“It’s just the way it came out,” said USGS geologist Chris Schenk of the estimate. “We put our input in and see what happens.”

That input came up with a number that USGS estimates is enough “to supply the United States for more than 10 years at the current rate of consumption.” It can also be drilled using the technology we have now, Schenk told The Shreveport Bossier City Advocate.

And now some Geology 101

The Bossier and Haynesville geologic formations are deep and old, formed at least 145 million years ago in the Jurassic period.

Between the formations and the earth’s surface is two miles of hard stuff: sandstone, limestone and shale.

The Haynesville formation is older and usually deeper, from 10,000 to 17,000 feet below the surface. The Bossier is generally 500-800 feet shallower than the Haynesville, and younger.

But all is not so straightforward. The Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling in the Lone Star state, warns that because Texas and Louisiana name things differently, “It is generally recognized that the shale interval in East Texas is the Lower Bossier that correlates with the Haynesville of Louisiana.” In other words, same thing, different name.

The Western Haynesville’s riches

The Western Haynesville is a relatively small area in east Texas that has been found to be rich with productive, over-pressured shales.

The USGS has noticed, writing in their report: “Production from the few wells drilled in this AU (Assessment Unit) shows that estimated ultimate recoveries are substantially higher than those of typical shales of the Bossier Formation.”

Shreveport mineral consultant Skip Peel said the few gas companies working the Western Haynesville have found that to be true and have been putting pedal to metal.

“The Western Haynesville is 5 years old. The first two years of that was Comstock and Aethon leasing land and drilling just a few test wells. The last three years has been particularly Comstock in full development mode, building pipelines, building all kinds of infrastructure, treating facilities, whatnot, because they've decided that that's their future.”

Peel said in the legacy Haynesville, an area that is roughly the parts of northwest Louisiana and east Texas that are not considered the Western Haynesville, companies have been drilling both Haynesville and Bossier-depth wells for some time.

“The USGS report will bring more attention, public attention, investor attention, to the Western Haynesville. And so that's good for Comstock, and Aethon was the company that was also kind of the secondary operator in the Western Haynesville.”

“That’s one of the reasons why Mitsubishi Corporation bought them (Aethon) is because of their footprint in the Western Haynesville."

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jesse Joyner on May 7, 2026 at 7:25

Thank you, Skip. Telling info. Much appreciated. 


landownerPermalink Reply by Dale Walton on May 7, 2026 at 10:38

One of the only similarities between the Western Haynesville and the North La Haynesville is that they are both Jurassic age shales.  The Western Haynesville and the overlying Bossier are much thicker and higher pressure than their cousins in LA.  The Western Haynesville and Bossier are also linear and not lagoonal.  

Permalink Reply by Hale Yayuh on May 13, 2026 at 2:04

Say, "linear and not lagoonal?" If I think of linear (deposition), I am thinking beaches, barrier islands, offshore bars, that type of thing. Do they find some sandy intervals or what? Are you saying that it is not a uniform, blanket deposition, low (depositional) energy type like the Haynesville in NW LA?

 


landownerPermalink Reply by Dale Walton on May 13, 2026 at 4:31

Linear, as in the shale lies in a SW/NE linear pod.  The logs that I have seen are mostly shale with some sandy intervals.  It is a completely different depo environment from NW LA which was a lagoon in Jurassic time.  

Permalink Reply by Hale Yayuh on May 13, 2026 at 5:50

Do the sandy intervals increase productivity? Is this a key factor for determining the best acreage? Any idea of the numbers of any porosity and perm increase for sandy intervals versus shale?


Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 13, 2026 at 9:11

I'll leave the technical answer to Rock Man but he and I have discussed that there is interbedded sand along with the Deep Bossier in the Western Haynesville.  So, Hale, yes to both porosity and perm.

Permalink Reply by Hale Yayuh on May 13, 2026 at 10:48

Skip, have you seen any EUR estimates for western Haynesville?

Have you seen any ideas about spacing?


Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Rock Man on May 19, 2026 at 6:24

Comstock and other still evaluating spacing between laterals. Would not be surprised if a "wine rack" approach comes into play as to the stacked target zones in some areas. 

Very big fracs with very fine proppants being used to "push out" stimulated rock volumes and frac wing lengths.

In ideal sense, offsetting laterals will "touch" the stimulated rock volume of the offsetting lateral.

There are numbers floating around for EUR's, but still early as to trying to pin down some hard numbers.

And yes, the interbedded and intermittent Bossier sands and silts do positively impact well performance since they are more conventional reservoirs that contribute gas differently than just a "normal" shale reservoir.


Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 13, 2026 at 10:54

No, Hale.  I know there are multiple benches and that Comstock is looking at wine rack spacing.  The details are better had from Rock Man when he can get around to it.


landownerPermalink Reply by Mike Wilson on May 17, 2026 at 11:00

What does this report mean for the value of minerals in Robertson and Leon Counties that lie in the Western Haynesville? What would 120 net royalty acres be worth in the prime locations?


Oil & Gas ProPermalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on May 17, 2026 at 13:45

Mike, I don't think it moves the needle on Western Haynesville mineral values.  The industry is never impressed with the USGS or the reserve projections cranked out by academics at universities.  Their usual response is "how many wells have those academics or for that matter the USGS drilled.  The answer is zero".  The Western Haynesville play is now about five years old and the USGS is just now paying attention.  A day late and a dollar short to that play.  Mineral values are based on specific location and Roberson and Leon counties is not sufficiently specific.  If there are good wells producing in or quite near a specific location that helps to establish value at sale.  Most of the mineral companies that I have dealt with are not jumping into the Western Haynesville market quyite yet.  They are taking a wait and see approach.  The best values at sale come from having a good lease and new wells on the way.


landownerPermalink Reply by Mike Wilson on May 17, 2026 at 16:40

Thanks for the response Skip. So in my mind, who in their right minds would ever sell their mineral rights based on a current or planned well with the knowledge there is far far more gas remaining under their feet for many many more wells they are in no way being compensated for. That makes absolutly zero economic sense to me. Like considering purchase between property A and property B and finding out there is buried treasure on property A and not B but that Property A won't bring a higher price. 

Is the purchase of minerals only available to industry insiders or are they not available to anyone wanting to be in that business? If nothing else just the USGS making that info publicly available should greatly move the needle or it is not a market price and prices are being manipulated.

I know your knowledge is 1000X mine on this subject and I am not atempting to question it, I am just trying to make sense of it for myself.

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