The Barnett is a 5,000-square-mile basin stretching south/southwest from Forth Worth, Texas that includes 17 counties.
Recent projections from the United States Geological Survey estimate natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale at more than 26.2 tcf. Today there are thousands of productive wells, with many new wells coming online every month. The richness of these gas resources is a force of economic growth in dozens of counties throughout the region.
Energy companies exploring the Barnett Shale have amassed knowledge of the area's complex shale formations and its unique challenges to gas extraction. Early attempts to drill in the thick, nearly impermeable shale with conventional technology were unsuccessful. This led to drilling of horizontal wells, and a multi-stage process of hydraulic fracturing to expose more of the gas formation to the wellbore and release the gas.
Each company is exploring different approaches to the fracturing of wells, based on local shale characteristics, available resources and other factors. It has not been uncommon in this region to achieve upwards of 100% success rates on completed wells.
With the growth potential of natural gas exploration in the Barnett Shale and greater Ft. Worth Basin, proactive steps by energy companies will have a long-term benefit for the industry and the environment.
