Deep Gas Trend in West Texas--Geology and Reserves: ABSTRACT

Abstract

The deep gas trend in west Texas includes an area of 9,000 sq mi underlain by favorable reservoir rock in the Delaware and Val Verde basins. Approximately an eighth of the favorable area has been explored. In addition, only Wolfcampian and older formations are considered. This trend should develop into the largest gas-producing area in the world. Expensive drilling costs, carbon dioxide gas distribution, the uncertainty of future gas prices, lack of deep subsurface data, and difficulty with seismic interpretations have caused an erratic development. The first giant gas field was discovered in 1952. Subsequent discoveries have established the deepest gas production in the world, some fields having as much as 3,500 ft of gas column above the gas-water contact. On the basis of reserve prediction methods developed by Hendricks, huge volumes of gas in place remain to be discovered. End_of_Article - Last_Page 751------------