Comparison of Projected to Actual Resource Recovery in the Cherokee, Warrior, Arkoma and Appalachian Basins Coal Bed Methane Fields, USA

Tedesco, Steven A.
[email protected]

In all unconventional resources there is initially a predicted expectation of reserves on a well or regional basis that is generally derived from early identified "sweet spots" or rock properties. As with any unconventional resource play as they develop it becomes clear there are areas of good, poor and no production. Usually these types of plays have been referred to as blanket accumulations which subsequent drilling and completion results would suggest support. The Cherokee, Warrior, Arkoma and Appalachian basins have been developed since the 1990s, in some cases since the 1920s and comparing historic production to predicted production provides lessons in how to evaluate other coal bed methane as well as shale resource plays. Almost all of these four basins coal bed methane production is generally controlled by tectonic features in the form of thrusting, fault blocks or structural closures. Consequently, comparison of these basins demonstrates that potentially many coal bed methane as well as shale plays can be defined to some degree as conventional accumulations in a non-conventional reservoir related to tectonics. Examples and comparison between the four basins in terms of production, geology and reservoir characteristics will be presented.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90166©2013 AAPG International Conference & Exhibition, Cartagena, Colombia, 8-11 September 2013