In the early years of this century, U.S. pundits were showing charts and graphs indicating that the natural gas supplies coming from the Gulf of Mexico were in decline and the situation showed no signs of improving. But a quiet revolution already was taking place.
George Mitchell of Mitchell Energy, who had been laboring in the Barnett Shale for several years with little success, finally found the right recipe of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. And it was off to the races. Other shales followed: the Haynesville, Fayetteville, Marcellus, Utica, Eagle Ford, Bakken, etc. The country’s vast accumulation of shales, which had always been studiously avoided by drillers in the past, were suddenly being viewed as its salvation. When gas prices dropped due to oversupply, operators went after oil, ultimately leading to one of the industry’s most prolonged downturns.
In these pages you’ll find an interview with Steve Holditch, whom E&P interviewed 15 years ago when unconventional resources were still a glimmer on the horizon. Holditch looks back over those remarkable 15 years and postulates what might be next. We also take a look at some of the latest technological breakthroughs that help operators drill, complete and produce more efficiently in this low-price environment.
Read E&P's November cover stories:
US shale operators focus on completion optimization, best practices
MPD emerging as preferred drilling method in Utica Shale
Composite vs. dissolvable fracture plugs
Recommended Reading
SM Energy Targets Prolific Dean in New Northern Midland Play
2024-05-09 - KeyBanc Capital Markets reports SM Energy’s wells “measure up well to anything being drilled in the Midland Basin by anybody today.”
Electric Hype vs. Hydraulic Reality: Advantages of Traditional Systems
2024-05-07 - Castrol's new fluid prevents gas hydrates in deepwater control systems.
CEO: Continental Adds Midland Basin Acreage, Explores Woodford, Barnett
2024-04-11 - Continental Resources is adding leases in Midland and Ector counties, Texas, as the private E&P hunts for drilling locations to explore. Continental is also testing deeper Barnett and Woodford intervals across its Permian footprint, CEO Doug Lawler said in an exclusive interview.
Halliburton’s Low-key M&A Strategy Remains Unchanged
2024-04-23 - Halliburton CEO Jeff Miller says expected organic growth generates more shareholder value than following consolidation trends, such as chief rival SLB’s plans to buy ChampionX.
EOG: Utica Oil Can ‘Compete with the Best Plays in America’
2024-05-09 - Oil per lateral foot in the Utica is as good as top Permian wells, EOG Resources told analysts May 3 as the company is taking the play to three-mile laterals and longer.