The Barnett Shale StoryA mere decade ago, the massive energy reserves sealed in the Barnett Shale formation in North Texas were unreachable. Today, the region is one of the largest onshore U.S. gas producing areas thanks to innovative technologies and perseverance.
Natural gas was discovered in 1981, but the tight geographic formations made it economically unviable to recover. All that changed in 1997 when George Mitchell of former Mitchell Energy inspired the technique of water fractures, effectively unlocking the energy potential of the Barnett Shale.
By blasting water and sand into the shale, hydraulically induced fractures occur in the rock formations, allowing the trapped natural gas to be extracted.
Five years later, Mitchell's crew discovered that by first drilling vertically, and then drilling horizontally, well production could be increased by 33 to 55% with minimal surface disruption.
With integrated multinational energy companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, Marathon Oil, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips entering the Barnett Shale, the region is currently the nation's fastest growing natural gas field.