Barnett Shale: A Resource Play - Locally Random and Regionally Complex

Abstract

Abstract The Barnett Shale play in north central Texas has 14,382 wells which were originally primarily vertical wells. Currently 68% of the wells are horizontal wells. This Barnett Shale has significant changes in performance and quality as produced fluid type changes, as the depth changes, and as the thickness changes. Completion type is known to have a significant impact on well productivity. This review relates peak month rate to reservoir performance. The peak month rate is shown to be impacted in a predictable manner by horizontal wellbore length, by lateral azimuth, by completion depth, by gross pay interval, and by type of fluid being produced, which ranges from dry gas to oil. A P10/P90 ratio is used to measure the relative uncertainty in performance for the various subsets of the Barnett Shale reviewed.