Fayetteville Shale, Arkoma Basin, Arkansas

Key Geologic Features

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-0

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Total Organic Carbon % (Depth-averaged in Fayetteville Pay Zone)

Structure of Fayetteville (Feet Below Sea Level)

Thermal Maturity of Fayetteville from Vitrinite Reflectance (% Ro)

Normal Fault (Ball/bar on Downthrown Block)

Fault- Questionable

( ( ( Thrust Fault (Sawteeth on Upper Plate)

Gas Prospectivity based on %TOC, %Ro and location relative to Reelfoot Rift
(See discussion in text, lower right corner)

4.5

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Medium- Low (Ro 3.4-3.8%, TOC >1% and East of Reelfoot Rift)
Low (In Reelfoot Rift)

Arkoma Basin Boundary

Index Map

IL

MO

KY

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Surface Location of Gas Wells By Year of First Production

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High (Ro < 3.2 %, TOC >1% and East of Reelfoot Rift)

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Structural Features

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Dry / Plugged and Abandoned Fayetteville Tests

Frontal Ouachita
Thrust Belt

Surface Locations of Fayetteville Shale Gas Wells

-5000

Arkoma Basin Stratigraphy

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Typical Well Log Through Fayetteville

Shale and Adjacent Units (depth in feet)

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Year of 1st Production (Well Count)

( 1990 - 2003 (2)
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2004 - 2005 (58)
* 2006 (108)
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August (220)
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Arkoma Basin Boundary
Structural Features

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Miles
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Pulaski

Yell

8 12 16

TX

LA

Lonoke

800

1600
*Proved reserves are a combination of operator estimates reported for the EIA-23
survey and EIA estimates for operators not reporting on survey.

Cumulative Gas Production 184 BCF

700

**Proved Ultimate Recovery = Reserves + Cumulative production

600

1000

500

MMCF/day

1200

800
700
600

Production

Well Count

500

400

400

300

300

400

200

200

200

100

100

600

0
2003

Proved Reserves

Proved Ultimate Recovery

2004

2005

Source: EIA, Office of Oil & Gas, Reserves and Production Division

2006

2007

2008

0
Jan-04

Source: HPDI

Jul-04

Jan-05

Jul-05

Jan-06

Jul-06

Jan-07

Jul-07

Jan-08

Jul-08

Prairie

Miles

Fayetteville Shale Natural Gas Production and Well Count

Fayetteville Shale Gas Proved Reserves* and Proved Ultimate Recovery**

BCF

MS

Surface Locations of Fayetteville Shale Gas Wells

Well Count

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800

Woodruff

Western Area

Crawford

1400

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Monroe

The Fayetteville Shale Gas Play is in early development. The only publication addressing geologic factors critical to its productivity is the Arkansas
Geological Commission's Information Circular 37 (IC-37), Organic Geochemistry and Thermal Maturation Analysis within the Fayetteville Shale
Study Area - Eastern Arkoma Basin and Mississippi Embayment Regions, Arkansas, authored in 2006 by Ratchford, Bridges, Jordan, Dow,
Colbert and Jarvie. Based on data obtained via analysis of well cuttings from the limited number of Fayetteville Shale wells then available, this
study proposed a two component model wherein shale with a Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content greater than 1% by weight combined with
a vitrinite reflectance between Ro = 1.1% and 3.2% would be expected to have the highest gas production potential (green background area on
above map). TOC values of less than 1% by weight were considered to have insufficient source rock potential by analogy to studies of the Barnett
Shale (Ft. Worth Basin). Shale with a vitrinite reflectance Ro > 3.2% was expected to have decreased porosity and permeability. Fayetteville wells
drilled in the Reelfoot Rift area subsequent to that study have been abandoned with no gas production reported. These poor results may be due to
clastic dilution of organic materials deposited during rift filling and/or to higher heat flow associated with crustal thinning under the rift or nearby
plutonic bodies (Ratchford, Arkansas Geological Survey, personal communication). The rift area is thus shown as low potential (red background
area on above map). The area shown with yellow background on the above map has TOC > 1% but vitrinite reflectance between Ro = 3.2% and
3.8%, with the contouring significantly influenced by the Ro value of 3.8% in the E.W. Moore Estate-1 well. While significant gas production is not
expected from rocks with maturity > 3.2%, some gas producers have been drilled in this yellow-colored area, so the 3.8% high value may be a
localized feature. This area is thus labeled as medium to low potential. The vitrinite reflectance contours and the model will evolve as more wells are
drilled and analyzed for additional control.
Well data from HPDI, Arkansas State Oil and Gas Commission and Arkansas Geological Survey; Geologic Data from Ratchford et al (2006)
Projection UTM-15, NAD83 Map date: December 2008
Authors: Samuel H. Limerick (1), Lucy Luo (1), Gary Long (2), David F. Morehouse (2), Jack Perrin (1), and Robert F. King (2)
(1) Z, Inc., (2) Energy Information Administration

From Ratchford et al (2006)

U.S. Energy
Information
Administration