Emerging

Two of the three wells being drilled in Bolero Field in Lincoln County are development wells.

Mesa Energy reports its Coal Creek project targeting gas in the Hunton Sand, the Brent Sand, and a shallow Atoka gas reservoir.

Unconventional gas production in the Rockies is growing, thanks to new discoveries, contiguous-acreage strategies and better technology. Here’s how three producers are making the most of opportunities in challenging times.

Energen chairman and CEO James McManus discusses Alabama shales, the company’s balance sheet and its buying power.

This unconventional shale play is developing in the Maverick Basin in Maverick, Dimmit and Zavala counties, Texas.

With lower gas prices and a credit squeeze for some companies, how do these shale
players see 2009 taking shape?

Pioneer Natural Resources expects proved reserves from the Pierre to exceed 200 billion cubic feet by 2010.

Significant resource potential lies in the Rockies, based on the sheer number of shales being explored, says U.K. consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.

For years, Mancos shale production has been commingled with that from other Uinta Basin formations; now the shale is being tested as a standalone play by such operators as Newfield, Gasco and Questar.

Here's a look at six emerging Rocky Mountain shale plays that are particularly worth watching: Gothic, Cody, Cane Creek, Baxter, Pierre and Lewis.

Interest is high in Rocky Mountain gray shales, including the Hilliard shale in the Green River and Hoback basins and the Baxter shale and Blair formation in the Rock Springs uplift area and western parts of the Great Divide and Washakie basins.

The Gothic shale play has been gaining attention in the Paradox Basin of southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah.

Western Newfoundland has interested explorers since the dawn of the oil industry. Shallow wells produced small oil quantities of oil through the 1960s, a deep well was drilled in the 1970s, modern seismic exploration began in 1991 and now more drilling is under way.

A budding play in the Maritimes Basin features the Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian Horton Bluff shale.

The Montney tight gas play in western Alberta and eastern British Columbia is one of the top resource plays in North America.

An interesting program to expand the Athabascan oil sands across Alberta’s border into Saskatchewan is being carried out by micro-cap Oilsands Quest Inc., headquartered in Calgary. 

Commercial production of CBM was first achieved in Australia in 1996 at the Moura coal mine in Queensland. By 2006, CBM met 60% of Queensland's total gas demand, and supplied 15% of the east coast market.

Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe all hold potential for CBM development.