The best natural gas opportunity to present itself in years, the discovery of the Barnett and Eagle Ford Shale regions has had a significant positive impact on Texas’ oil and gas companies, landmen and other land professionals. By exploring Texas’ shale timeline, landmen and historians alike are able to illustrate the many benefits of these discoveries over time.
Barnett & Eagle Ford Shale Discovery Changes US’ Energy Future
In 1825, shallow fractures were found in Fredonia, NY leading to the extraction of shale gas. Ninety years later, Kentucky’s Big Sandy gas field transformed energy production, and was expanded into surrounding states. By 1965, hydraulic fracturing replaced outmoded extraction techniques, resulting in increased production from existing shale plays and a preliminary strategy for extracting Texas’ future resources.
In Beaumont, Texas, the discovery of Spindletop in 1901 would lead to greater resource exploration and the unveiling of previously unknown resources. Here’s where the state’s shale boom gets interesting:
- 1950s - While on an expedition to map Texas’ terrain, the Barnett Play was noted by scientists, a precursor to Texas’ future oil boom.
- 1970s – The influence of federal regulations on natural gas prices affected resource production, inciting a nation-wide shortage.
- 1976 – To combat the gas shortage, the Eastern Gas Shales Project was launched and the Gas Research Institute was formed.
- 1980 – The Energy Act of 1980 provided exemption from price controls to Devonian shale, and tax credits for shale gas, sparking a boom in shale production.
- 1981 – In the early 1980s, Mitchell Energy Corporations was the first to drill a vertical well in the Barnett Play.
- 1985 – Dropping 66% per barrel in 1985, the price of crude further motivated land professionals to refine exploration techniques.
- 1986 – Production of domestic petroleum increased, leading to the creation of jobs and a period of economic advancement. Also significant, shale was successfully accessed via an air-drilled multi-fracture horizontal well.
- 1991 – Approximately a decade after the first vertical well was drilled, professionals drilled the first horizontal well in an attempt to find a more efficient method of resource production.
- 1997 – Light sand fracking was first used at the Barnett Play as researchers remained on a quest to perfect extraction methods.
- 1999 – Prior to the turn of the millennium, the average number of wells drilled per year was 73, a number that slowly increased starting in the early 1980s.
- 2000 – The number of wells increased from 73 per year to nearly 200 in the year 2000, only to double the following year.
- 2004 – As the number of wells increased, so did the preference for horizontal drilling.
- 2006 – Two short years after horizontal drilling gained ground, it began to outpace vertical drilling methods.
- 2008 – Less than a decade after a marked jump in active wells, the Eagle Ford shale was discovered. As the most significant development in oil and gas in nearly three decades, the Eagle Ford shale played a major role in the industry.
- 2013 – The number of oil leases for Eagle Ford increased exponentially in four years, from 67 to over 2,500. Since the discovery of Eagle Ford shale play, southern Texas’ economy has benefitted significantly.
Final Thoughts
As exploration continues, land professionals and corporations alike are anticipating improved access to shale reserves in the future. With technology rapidly advancing and scientists working on enhanced methods of resource detection and extraction, Barnett and Eagle Ford Shale provides the hope of energy independence for future generations.
* Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
