EIA Updates Eagle Ford Maps

January 29, 2015 Elizabeth Alford

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released new maps that include updated information for Eagle Ford derived from producing wells from January 2000- June 2014 based on The maps are categorized in the following geological parameters.

Initial GOR

This map shows the detailed production in relation to the natural gas to oil ratio (GOR) of the play.

Oil to gas ration map for Eagle Ford 2015

Play Footprint

This map shows the four boundaries of the Eagle Ford Play

North - This boundary is determined by the temperatures at which oil is generated from rock and stops at 3650 feet in Frio County and counties east, and in Maverick and Zavala counties from 650 to 2900 feet.
South - This boundary follows the Sligo Reef Margin.
Northeast - This boundary where the lower Eagle Ford thins and grades into more silica-rich units of the Pepper Shale of the East Texas Basin
West - This boundary is marked by the border with Mexico

Elevation Contours

This structure map characterizes the depth of the play and represents the minimum drilling depth to reach the top of the Eagle Ford formation.

“The Eagle Ford formation is divided into upper and lower units, and the top of the lower unit is considered the best proxy for the source rock; however, due to a lack of density and distribution of the depth to the top of the lower Eagle Ford formation, this map represents an approximation of the elevation of the top of the upper Eagle Ford unit.”

Thickness Contours

This map provide a rough estimate of the thickness of the play, which is used to estimate resource volumes, such as oil- or gas-in-place estimates, in combination with other information such as porosity, pressure, and geologic history.

Read here for more about Eagle Ford Shale Geology

Purchase EFS maps here

Read full report at eia.gov

The Importance of Radio Communications Onsite & Wide-Area in the Eagle Ford - Press Release

January 7, 2014 Kenny DuBose

Many energy related companies rely heavily on radio communications for coordination of personnel and assets on a site, across a region or both. They choose radio for many reasons:

Dedicated communications for business. There is no possibility that an employee will be unavailable on a personal call when needed.
Instant communications to one or many. Push to talk, no dialing multiple individuals or attempting to keep multiple cellphones connected for coordination of critical tasks.
Rugged industrial grade devices with loud audio for noisy environments and high power transmitters for dependable remote talk back capability. Devices may be optioned as intrinsically safe for use in incendiary or hazardous environments.
Simple service responsibility from regional communication firms. No waiting at retail stores or complex consumer type repair procedures. Service personnel repair and install onsite at customer locations on customer schedules.
Easy billing. No complex cellular bills with numerous taxes and charges.
Safe and legal. Two-way radios are fully compliant with Distracted Driver law and eliminate the potential for a cell phone related incident or fine.

Different Types of Two-Way Radios

When considering two-way radio one should be aware of the different types and configurations:

Mobile (vehicle mounted) Radios

Eagle Ford Shale Communications Network - A&B Communications

Permanently or semi-permanently mounted high power radio units connected to vehicle ignition and a very efficient vehicular antenna. Advantages are that mobile radios offer the greatest range due to high power transmitters and high mounted antennas generally on roofs, headache racks or mirrors. They are best suited for fleets where the drivers spend the majority of their time in the vehicle. Disadvantages are obviously that calls may be missed when away from the vehicle though many are equipped with wireless handheld extender devices for use within 1000 feet of the vehicle.

Portable (handheld) Radios

Small, battery operated rechargeable radio units. Advantages are that they may be used in / outdoors or vehicle. Disadvantages are that range is less than mobile radios due to lower power transmitter and less efficient antenna. Unlike cellular phones, portable two-way radios are industrial grade devices built to stand up under 24-hour duty cycles, harsh treatment and may be optioned to operate in explosive or hazardous environments.

Base Station (fixed) Radios

Permanently mounted office devices designed to be a central dispatch point. While is not necessary to have a base station, many firms see value in the fact that office personnel may communicate with outside personnel without the need to find a portable radio or to go to a company vehicle. Remote extensions of the base station may be placed in multiple locations within a field office allowing selected personnel to use the radio system without leaving their desk.

Configuration Options With Two-Way Radios

Onsite Configuration

All of the above radio units may be configured to operate unit-to-unit for limited range communications. Portable radios in this configuration may provide communications up to 2 miles, depending on topography and onsite structure. Mobiles and base stations will provide significantly greater range. Advantages of this configuration are that radios are not dependent on a tower network and do not have associated recurring usage fees. As a result they may be moved to other locations and used locally on other job sites.

Wide-area Communications

All of the above radio units may be configured to operate through a tower network for wide area communications. Portable radio performance is dramatically improved in this configuration and actual coverage and range may be custom designed based on user requirements. Advantages of this configuration are obviously extended coverage. Additionally all wide-area configured radios have the capability to change channel settings and operate in an onsite unit-to-unit configuration.

About A&B Communications

Headquartered in Corpus Christi, A&B Communications understands the unique needs of the oilfield fleet operator. The company specializes in safe, reliable, private communications systems and devices for petrochemical refining, oilfield, medical and public safety.

For more information, contact:

Patrick Russell prussell@abcomm.net www.abcomm.net

The article above was published through EagleFordShale.com’s press release distribution service. Learn more about Eagle Ford Advertising Here.

How Deep Is the Eagle Ford?

October 22, 2013 R.T. Dukes

The Eagle Ford has been drilled at depths that range from a few thousand to 14,000+ ft in South Texas.

How Deep is the Eagle Ford Formation Found?

The fairway of the play is found at approximate depths of 8,000-12,000 ft below the surface.

Oil gets heavier and harder to produce in the more shallow portions of the play and dry gas is found in deeper portions of the play. It's the sweet spot between the heavy oil and dry gas where operators get high volumes of natural gas and condensate or oil wells.

Eagle Ford Depth Map

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Eagle Ford Shale Well Map - TX RRC - May 2013

June 27, 2013 R.T. Dukes

An updated Eagle Ford well map was published by the RRC in mid-May.

Over a 98 day period between February and May, an average of almost 8 oil wells and almost 5 gas wells came online per day. It is obvious higher gas prices have been welcomed during the first half of the year.

The number of gas wells online has grown by almost 50% in just over three months.

Between February and May:

768 oil wells came online – 3,462 producing
448 gas wells came online – 1,443 producing
5,497 permits had been approved and were pending development
More than 10,402 well permits have been drilled or are pending. Permits expire after two years, so many more have have been permitted over the past five years.

Data from the RRC is always a little delayed, so the numbers reflected are not be 100% accurate. The RRC is at the mercy of companies reporting data in a timely fashion. I suspect we have well over 5,000 producing Eagle Ford wells today.

Eagle Ford Oil Production Up 70% in January 2013

March 28, 2013 R.T. Dukes

Initial reports for Eagle Ford production from the Texas RRC show the play produced more than 370,000 b/d of oil in January. Initial estimates have been consistently revised by 40,000 to 50,000 b/d over the past six months, so we believe actual oil production was more than 420,000 b/d. That represents growth of approximately 70% over the past twelve months.

Production in January 2012 was just 248,000 b/d. For reference, the state of Texas is producing about 2 million b/d. The Eagle Ford represents over 20% of the state's oil production. That's impressive for a play that was only discovered four years ago.

Initial reports from December 2012 have been revised from 385,000 b/d to 417,000 b/d.