Bustling DFW Airport Creates Unlikely Setting for High-fold 3-D Survey to Image Barnett Shale

Larry Lunardi¹ and Kevin Werth^2
1Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 North Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73118
²Dawson Geophysical, 6301 N. Western Ave, Suite 210, Oklahoma City, OK 73118

From January thru early March of 2007 the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, one of the busiest and largest airports in the world, provided the backdrop for one of the most unique 3D seismic surveys to be acquired to date in the prolific Barnett Shale play of the Fort Worth Basin. Initiated by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, to image the subsurface configuration of the Barnett interval beneath their 18,000 ac lease across the entire airport property, this project was contracted by Dawson Geophysical, and orchestrated by both companies in close cooperation with DFW officials and operations personnel. Designed in 5 separate phases to take advantage of reduced security restrictions outside the area of Airport Operations (runways, taxiways, and terminal buildings) the acquisition plan utilized meticulous pre-planning and approval sessions and constant coordination with airport operations to maintain the level of safety and security required throughout the project. As a result, over 32 sq miles of high quality 3D coverage were acquired and ultimately knitted together in processing to form the complete subsurface picture needed to guide Chesapeake’s 5-rig horizontal drilling campaign (now underway).

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90076©2008 AAPG Pacific Section, Bakersfield, California