Category: Texas Railroad Commission

Top Eagle Ford Questions Received by the Texas Railroad Commission

Source: Texas Railroad Commission
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/eagleford/

Top Questions Asked about the Eagle Ford

1. What are the sizes of the proration units for the Eagle Ford Shale Fields?

Presently, the proration units range from 40 acres to 640 acres. Need to review the individual field rules for each of the Eagle Ford Shale Fields.
2. Explain why a surface location for horizontal wells is not required to be located on the lease that is being drilled?
Many wells are being drilled horizontally or deviated from offsite locations to reach potential producing horizons that may be beneath city parks, water bodies or housing developments, where a surface location may not be desirable or available. It is not unusual for an operator to obtain surface rights from which to drill a well from an adjacent, more desirable location.

Eagle Ford – From the Texas Railroad Commission

eagle-ford-map

 

What is the Eagle Ford Shale?

The Eagle Ford Shale is a hydrocarbon producing formation of significant importance due to its capability of producing both gas and more oil than other traditional shale plays.  It contains a much higher carbonate shale percentage, upwards to 70% in south Texas, and becomes shallower and the shale content increases as it moves to the northwest.  The high percentage of carbonate makes it more brittle and “fracable”.  The shale play trends across Texas from the Mexican border up into East Texas, roughly 50 miles wide and 400 miles long with an average thickness of 250 feet.  It is Cretaceous in age resting between the Austin Chalk and the Buda Lime at a depth of approximately 4,000 to 12,000 feet.  It is the source rock for the Austin Chalk and the giant East Texas Field.  The name has often been misspelled as “Eagleford”.  A great picture can be found at the Energy Information Administration (EIA)http://www.eia.gov/oil_gas/rpd/shaleusa9.pdf which shows the structural contours and windows for the oil, wet gas/condensate and dry gas.

 

Texas Railroad Commision

What is the Eagle Ford Shale?

The Eagle Ford Shale is a hydrocarbon producing formation of significant importance due to its capability of producing both gas and more oil than other traditional shale plays.  It contains a much higher carbonate shale percentage, upwards to 70% in south Texas, and becomes shallower and the shale content increases as it moves to the northwest.  The high percentage of carbonate makes it more brittle and “fracable”.  The shale play trends across Texas from the Mexican border up into East Texas, roughly 50 miles wide and 400 miles long with an average thickness of 250 feet.  It is Cretaceous in age resting between the Austin Chalk and the Buda Lime at a depth of approximately 4,000 to 12,000 feet.  It is the source rock for the Austin Chalk and the giant East Texas Field.  The name has often been misspelled as “Eagleford”.  A great picture can be found at the Energy Information Administration (EIA) http://www.eia.gov/oil_gas/rpd/shaleusa9.pdf which shows the structural contours and windows for the oil, wet gas/condensate and dry gas.

Texas Railroad Commission Website:

http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/eagleford/index.php

Texas Railroad Commission map of Eagle Ford