Time lapse growth of the above map can be seen at the source or at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loaaXJgdhMc
Posted on 02/10/2014 5:26:14 AM PST by thackney
Most wells now being drilled for hydrocarbons produce a mixture of oil and natural gas. Relatively high oil prices and low natural gas prices make the oil-rich portions of reservoirs more desirable for production, and therefore increasingly the targets for the drilling of new wells.
The mixture of oil and natural gas can be shown for a particular formation by mapping initial gas-to-oil ratios (GORs; the ratio of natural gas that a well produces to oil, expressed as thousand cubic feet per barrel—Mcf/bbl). In the map above, high initial GOR, or gas-rich wells, of the Eagle Ford play in Texas are shown in orange and red along the southern edge of the play, and lower initial GORs, or oil-rich wells, in green along the northern portion. Most Eagle Ford wells began production in 2009 or later, as shown in the animation below, which displays both the GOR and production of total hydrocarbons in barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).
The distribution of initial GORs from Eagle Ford wells generally corresponds to the depth of the reservoir. Deeper wells (up to 15,000 feet) to the southeast have higher initial GORs, or a relatively greater share of natural gas, while the shallower wells to the northwest (below 6,000 feet) have lower initial GORs, or a relatively greater share of oil. In the eastern half of the play, the wells that intersect the reservoir between 5,000 and 13,000 feet depth produce initial GORs of 6 Mcf/bbl or less (producing more oil). The western half of the play includes a wider depth distribution of wells intersecting the formation from as deep as 14,000 feet to as shallow as 6,000 feet and has initial GORs of 6 Mcf/bbl or higher (producing more gas).
While initial GORs in the Eagle Ford have indicated a greater focus on oil production, production of both oil and natural gas from new and existing wells has increased over time. Monthly oil production from Eagle Ford wells increased from 340 barrels per day (bbl/d) in January 2009 to nearly 1 million bbl/d in June 2013. Natural gas production has increased at a similar rate over the same period, from 5.8 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) to nearly 4,000 MMcf/d. Oil and natural gas production volumes from the Eagle Ford reported here are slightly less than production reported in EIA's Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). The DPR reports production from all wells in all counties overlaying the Eagle Ford Play. In this report, only production from wells with production reported as being from the Eagle Ford formation is included.
Time lapse growth of the above map can be seen at the source or at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loaaXJgdhMc
So, oil explorers are exploring for oil in places they think they may find oil?
Clearly they are following the impeccable logic of Willie Sutton, who, when asked why he robbed banks, responded: "because that's where the money is."
Way to miss the message of the article.
The article is about where in the Eagle Ford producers are shifting focus and why. These are oil AND GAS producers who have been producing GAS (a different product than oil, fyi, in case you didn’t know) in the Eagle Ford and are now shifting their focus from GAS to OIL.
Sometimes trying to be snarky just demonstrates ignorance an/or laziness. BRILLIANT!
The article was fine. It’s just that I found the headline absurd.
One of the draw backs for drilling for the oil is the casing head gas is so much that it is keeping Natural Gas Prices low. Good for the consumer but not so much for those in the dry gas part of the country like the Haynesville Shale even though prices are slowely recovering.
This is true in the short and midterm, but the lower NG price is creating new customers for NG. As more industries move to NGLs and CNG, the price and efficiency of distribution and storage will come down and NG products will become more attractive to consumers for use in personal vehicles.
The final advantage will be that the fuel is being produced domestically. I really believe the price is going to do a lot more than recover. That’s my long-term bet, anyway.
For those who want to see a 6 minute video showing how horizontal drilling and fracking is done, Northern Gas and Oil has done a great one.
It includes a visual piece on how fresh water aquifers are protected from contamination.
http://www.northernoil.com/drilling-video
Knowledge is power, keep the link and pass it on.
there is an enormous wave of new demand coming the way of natural gas.
I would only bet on natural gas prices rising.
I thought they had, but I don’t watch much commercial TV, and usually flip channels when the commercials come on, so I don’t know.
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