New Barnett Shale Rigs
August 31st, 2008
Barnett Shale rig report
New drilling rigs operating in the Barnett Shale natural gas field for the week ended Friday. Chesapeake Operating, Oklahoma City: horizontal off Texas 199, …
New Barnett Shale Rigs
Natural vertical fractures are important factors in the economic production of gas from these rocks because the permeability of the natural fractures is almost always much higher than the unfractured rock. Directional drilling has become a huge asset in all of these promising shale plays. Natural gas reserves typically are found in deeper geological formations and generally require better equipment and experienced crews to drill the wells. At Patman Drilling, the quality of our equipment, our rigs? Natural gas produced on location is used to fire the distilling units that in turn boil the returned fracture fluid and produce fresh distilled water. The distilled water can then be used to fracture treat another Barnett Shale well.
Drilling rigs are already located on the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, and inside the Fort Worth city limits, and are headed toward downtown. Drilling likely will shift from the standard vertical wells to more expensive horizontal wells, requiring more manpower, equipment, expertise and time. Predictions are it will take another year or so before knowing if it’s a viable commercial opportunity. Drilling through the shale is like drilling through a Brunswick pool table or bowling ball. Yet we find several interesting factors in the shale itself such as micro fractures that travel from the north east to the southwest.
Drilling requires drilling fluids. Secondary recovery requires injection.
