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Barnett Shale fracture fairways aid exploration and production

Production is improved by enhancing complex natural fractures. Well over 50 operators have drilled or permitted in the Barnett Shale trend of north Texas’ Fort Worth basin since the beginning of 2004, according to Dr. Michael Wayne of Rig Data. As a relatively new unconventional natural gas play, the Barnett has gained national attention, due to the commercial success of operators over the last six years. Over 75% of the producing wells in the Barnett have been drilled since 2000. In 2002, according to the Energy Information Administration, Newark East Field produced 202 Bcf. This was more than any other field in Texas, making it the seventh largest gas producer in the US. The “Core” area of the trend is in Wise/ Denton and northern Tarrant Counties of Texas. The Barnett is an ultra-low permeability, naturally fractured reservoir that cannot be produced economically unless hydraulically fractured.