The Granite Wash is a tight-sand gas reservoir that occurs in thick, stacked sequences of sands, siltstones and shales. The sediments are submarine fan lobes sourced from distant highlands. The lobes are piled on each other, to thicknesses of 3,500 feet in areas.

Today, operators are drilling both horizontal and vertical wells in the Wash sediments, which are Pennsylvanian in age in this play. Economics of the wells are attractive even at today’s low gas prices. Vertical players have refined completions and shaved well costs to yield solid rates of return and add proved and probable reserves.

Horizontal players are drilling some stunning high-rate wells that flow gas in excess of 20 million cubic feet per day. Economically, these wells compete head-to-head with those in the big shale plays.

Several additional factors contribute to the popularity of the Granite Wash, which is prospective from the Texas Panhandle into western Oklahoma. Its gas is rich, pipelines are spread across the trend, and the regulatory environments are favorable. Also, there are few topography problems in this part of the patch.

To read more blogs by Peggy Williams, please visit: http://blogs.oilandgasinvestor.com/peggy/

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