A Total return to drilling in Texas
A five-week horizontal drilling permit drought has ended in the Barnett Shale of North Texas with a flood.
French oil major Total is seeking permission from the Railroad Commission of Texas to drill 16 new horizontal wells spread across 10 leases in Tarrant County.
All 10 projects will use horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to target the natural gas-rich Newark East field of the Barnett Shale to a depth of 9,000 feet.
Nine of the projects will be developed from two alreadyexisting drilling pads within Fort Worth city limits. Four will be drilled from a pad in North Richland Hills and three from a pad in White Settlement.
Under state law, Total must obtain permits from the Railroad Commission and the three cities before the projects can be drilled.
Permian Basin
Irving oil major Exxon Mobil filed its first permits in two months to develop six new horizontal wells on its John Braun C Unit 2 lease in the Midland County. All six wells target the oil-rich Spraberry field to depths from 8,870 to 10,200 feet.
Eagle Ford Shale
Houston exploration and production company Marathon Oil plans to drill four horizontal wells in Atascosa County and two in Karnes County. The six wells target the Eagleville field of the Eagle Ford Shale at depths from 22,000 to 26,000 feet.
Haynesville Shale
Houston oil company Rockcliff Energy plans to drill four natural gas wells split between Harrison and Panola counties. The four horizontal wells target the Carthage field of the Haynesville formation to a depth of 13,000 feet.
Barnett Shale
Total is not the only company that plans to drill new wells in North Texas. Albany oil company Apex Production plans to drill a vertical well on its Schooler lease in Shackelford County. The well targets the Shackelford County Regular field at a vertical depth of 1,000 feet.
Conventionals
Taiwanese petrochemical company Formosa Plastics plans to drill two vertical wells that will be used to place anti-corrosion equipment to protect a pipeline in Calhoun County. The cathodic protection wells target the Formosa field to a depth of 286 feet.