Integrated Analytical Approach Identifies Wolfcamp Targets Outside Defined Play Area

DALLAS–The great land grab in the Midland Basin has resulted in an exponential increase in acreage prices, with buyers paying up to $60,000 an acre in some cases. In this competitive environment, oil and gas companies–particularly smaller independents–are starting to look for prospective areas away from the main basin activity where land leasing costs can be significantly lower, drilling targets can be shallower, and reservoirs (sourced from migration) have the potential to yield economic volumes of hydrocarbon reserves. To identify and evaluate these types of plays, and to reduce exploration and development risks, it is essential to combine and interpret data within one space to provide a succinct geological evaluation of the subsurface, and ultimately, the potential resource in place. TriGeo Energy sought to conduct an integrated geological evaluation of its Wolfcamp assets in Sterling County, Tx., to identify potential drilling targets in the Eastern Shelf bordering the Midland Basin. TriGeo Energy’s leasehold is outside the current industry-defined economic boundaries of the Wolfcamp play to the west and south. The objective was to better understand if a viable and economic Wolfcamp play could be extended onto the Eastern Shelf environment. Figure 1 highlights defined Midland Basin petroleum plays and TriGeo’s acreage position. It also shows the locations of two 3-D seismic survey volumes over the company’s Sterling County acreage. With the study area on the Eastern Shelf and outside the Wolfcamp play’s defined extent (dashed blue line), it was essential to investigate and define the presence of the main petroleum system play elements–namely source rock quality and potential, reservoir thickness and quality, and ultimately, the presence of contained hydrocarbons.