Austin Chalk-Buda trend of south Texas
The completion of the Southland Royalty No. 1-A Harris in the Austin Chalk Formation on November 7, 1974, touched off a massive exploration effort by the oil and gas industry in a trend approximately 325 miles long and 20 miles wide from the Rio Grande River to Robertson County, Texas. An index of the activity that followed can be seen in the fact that as of February 1977, 554 new wells were producing in this field alone. In addition, there are 182 Austin Chalk tests currently in progress or listed as a location in Frio County. The rest of the trend has been extensively leased and drilling activity is increasing rapidly. The primary objectives of this exploration program are the Austin Chalk and the Buda Formations. Both of these are dense limestones that owe their reservoir qualities to fracturing. The fracturing is due to tensional forces that developed as a result of subsidence in the Gulf Coast Basin. The average Austin Chalk-Buda well costs $260,000 to drill and complete. Economic production from the Austin Chalk-Buda was not generally possible until the price of oil approached $12/bbl and modern fracturing techniques were developed. Based on the results of production to date, it is estimated that 50% of the wells in the trend will produce at a rate of 40 bpd or more and will have average reserves of 100,000 to 120,000 bbl.
- OSTI ID:
- 5970565
- Journal Information:
- Trans., Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans., Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 27; ISSN TGCGA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Surface production facilities in the Austin chalk
Geology of the fractured Austin and Buda formations in the subsurface of south Texas
Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
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020300 -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CARBONATE ROCKS
DRILLING
ECONOMICS
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION VI
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
LIMESTONE
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
RESERVES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TEXAS
USA
WELL DRILLING
WELLS