Firms track Arkoma Fayetteville shale gas

Jan. 19, 2006
More operators are joining the Mississippian Fayetteville shale gas play in the Arkoma basin.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 19 – More operators are joining the Mississippian Fayetteville shale gas play in the Arkoma basin.

Maverick Oil & Gas Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said it will start drilling in the play in January 2006 and plans a continuous drilling program during 2006.

Maverick said it holds interests in more than 133,000 gross acres. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Maverick Woodruff County LLC, is operator with 45% working interest in the project. Woodruff County, Ark., is 65 miles west of Memphis, Tenn.

XTO Energy Inc., Fort Worth, the largest natural gas producer in Arkansas with more than 500,000 gross acres, also plans to become active in the play.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC has acquired 70,000 acres of leases in the play and, as its first participant among supermajors, plans to drill its first wells in 2006.

Southwestern Energy Co., Houston, first out of the gate in 2003 in the Fayetteville play, plans to spend $338 million in 2006 to drill 175-200 wells, most of them horizontal, and a further $53.5 million for 10 new drilling rigs (OGJ Online, Dec. 14, 2005).