COTTON VALLEY RESERVES
The Cotton Valley and Haynesville production trends located in Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana, offer one of the best opportunities in the United States for future value growth in Onshore drilling. These early stage trends are undergoing a significant uplift and rejuvenation process by utilizing a new generation frac technology to rapidly increase commercial production.
The Cotton Valley Sandstone is associated with many fields in East Texas and North Louisiana and is of Upper Jurassic age. The sand-shale sequence is encountered at depths ranging from 8000 to 12000 ft. (2400-3700 m). The average reservoir temperature is 250" F (120øC). The gross sand interval may be 1500 ft (460 m) thick with many correlative producing zones. It is typified by low porosities and permeabilities and may generally be described as a medium-hard, gray sandstone. Hydraulic fracturing is almost a universal practice in the Cotton Valley Formations of East Texas.
COTTON VALLEY
The Cotton Valley subsurface formation is a tight gas play in Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana located just above the Haynesville/Bossier Shale. It is Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous in origin and consists of sandstone, limestone, and shale. The depth of the Cotton Valley formation is roughly 7,800 to 10,000 feet. Although it is mainly a natural gas play, some oil has been produced in parts of the Cotton Valley.
- Oil & Gas Journal
COTTON VALLEY FORMATION
The Cotton Valley Trend is a thick blanket formation producing across most of East Texas and a good portion of northwest Louisiana. The formation is made up of multiple productive sands stacked over a >1,200’ interval. The Cotton Valley is in the early third stage of historical development and results continue to rise each year with gains in technology.
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1940-2008 – developed by vertical wells with mostly small drainage areas and low EUR per well.
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2008-2014 – initiation of horizontal drilling with larger EUR’s than vertical wells, but constrained by early “gen 1” frac technology.
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2015-2018 – improvements in frac technology (“gen 3”) including the use of 100 mesh proppant have enhanced reservoir recovery and increased IP’s and EUR’s
COTTON VALLEY FORMATION
The Cotton Valley Trend is a thick blanket formation producing across most of East Texas and a good portion of northwest Louisiana. The formation is made up of multiple productive sands stacked over a >1,200’ interval. The Cotton Valley is in the early third stage of historical development and results continue to rise each year with gains in technology.
-
1940-2008 – developed by vertical wells with mostly small drainage areas and low EUR per well.
-
2008-2014 – initiation of horizontal drilling with larger EUR’s than vertical wells, but constrained by early “gen 1” frac technology.
-
2015-2018 – improvements in frac technology (“gen 3”) including the use of 100 mesh proppant have enhanced reservoir recovery and increased IP’s and EUR’s