Productive and Economic Potential of Tight Gas from the Travis Peak Formation in East Texas

Increasing operator activity and a pending FERC tight formation designation for the Travis Peak formation in East Texas indicate its large potential. The overall potential reserve additions from applying improved reservoir evaluation and stimulation techniques, however, has not been clear in the currently changing environments of technology, prices, and taxes and regulation.

This paper fully analyzes the conjoint effects of current geological understanding, engineering and financial costs, and production technologies on Travis Peak potential. Cores and logs, well tests, and production data from current (tight) Travis Peak wells provide a detailed geological basis for the analysis. The combined effects of geology, technology, costing, and resource development are analyzed in a comprehensive study of individual or overall benefits in the Travis Peak of specified technology or production practice improvements. The knowledge gained from this analysis is useful to direct R&D efforts toward those technologies that most increase reserves in specific locations.

Analysis results show the Travis Peak has economic tight gas potential (per section of productive area) greater than that estimated for the better known Cotton Valley, but varying substantially by location. For a 6700 mi² Study Area in East Texas, over 3.8 Tcf in potential reserves are available at current prices and technology. Sensitivity analyses of alternative reservoir evaluation and stimulation technologies are individually described in terms of their effects on reserves, production, and economics, potentially adding more than 50% in reserves at current prices.