United States Shale Gas Play Maps

Limerick, Samuel ¹; Luo, Lucy ²; Long, Gary ³; Morehouse, David F.⁴; Perrin, Jack ²; King, Robert F.^4
1 Z, Inc., Reno, NV.
² Z, Inc., Dallas, TX.
³ Energy Information Administration, Dallas, TX.
⁴ Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC.

The Energy Information Administration has begun a map series intended to succinctly summarize what is publicly known about development drilling, geologic play elements, and the growth of production, reserves and proved ultimate recovery in the major US shale gas plays, using ArcGIS software. An index map of the active U.S. shale gas plays and summary maps for the Barnett Shale (Ft. Worth Basin) and Fayetteville Shale (Arkoma Basin) are now available on EIA’s web site. Maps for the Woodford Shale (Arkoma, Ardmore and Anadarko Basins) are under construction. Similar maps are planned for those remaining major shale gas plays for which sufficient well, production, and geologic data are available.

Wells are color-coded by year of first production to illustrate the play’s development over time. Contours of shale gas play elements such as thermal maturity based on vitrinite isoreflectance, geologic structure, shale depth and thickness, and weight percent of total organic carbon are shown to highlight the expected prospective areas of each play. Graphs are included for (1) gas production and well counts over time, and (2) the growth of proved reserves and proved ultimate recovery over time.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90090©2009 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, June 7-10, 2009