Ultralightweight Proppant Helps Optimize Stimulation Of Barnett Shale Wells

摘要

Houston-The Barnett Shale in the Fort Worth Basin has quickly become one of the most active natural gas drilling areas in the world. More than 8,000 drilling permits have been issued for Barnett Shale wells in the past five years in 18 Texas counties surrounding the original core area in Denton, Wise and Tarrant counties. Significantly, the vast majority of the wells being drilled in the play are now horizontal. In fact, the percentage of new wells drilled horizontally has increased from one-quarter of all Barnett Shale wells three years ago to 85 percent today (more than 1,600 horizontal wells are expected to be drilled in the Barnett Shale in 2006).