When you first look at seeds, they are unassuming little things. Before germination, they don't reveal much, aside from their outward appearance. But the important thing is that seeds, if nurtured correctly, can grow into something magnificent—like a six-foot sunflower or an apple tree. Not everyone possesses the special touch needed to turn a humble seed into a vast orchard, but that is exactly what makes such a grand success so extraordinary.

Over the past decade, oil and gas finders have been planting the seeds of shale plays, and Hawkville Field, in the Eagle Ford shale, is one that has blossomed.

Planting Shale Seeds

In early 2008, Gregg Robertson was on to something. Tracing his roots in the industry back to his father, one of the first individuals on the Giddings Field scene, the chief executive of Corpus Christi-based First Rock Inc. had a learned intuition—one that was fixed on the Eagle Ford formation.

"I have always read all the scout reports on the counties that make up the Cretaceous trend in South Texas, so I was aware early on of the drilling activity in Live Oak County, which began in 2006 for several objectives other than the Eagle Ford," he says.

Looking at the project in terms of the "big picture," a habit instilled in Robertson by his father, Robertson began to research and map the area. Simultaneously, he looked for a partner willing to invest in a project that had not yet sprouted. Through his long-time friendships with Petrohawk Energy Corp.'s Dick Stone­burner, president, and Jana Beeson, senior geologist, a partner for the project emerged.

"Gregg brought us the trend concept in early 2008, specifically focused on the Live Oak/Karnes portion of the trend," says Charles Cusack, Petrohawk's vice president of exploration. "His established relationships and trust—combined with Petrohawk's emerging shale expertise and reputation—led to a natural partnership."

With Houston-based Petrohawk on board, the group launched work on preliminary musts: land acquisition and more comprehensive mapping of the prospect.

"We knew that time was of the essence in a play like this, so we needed to move quickly to assemble the leasehold before the competition knew what we were doing," says Cusack.

"We had done our homework, and once the lease blocks fell into place and Petrohawk made the financial commitment, the prospect was for real." Gregg Robertson, First Rock Inc.

A Plan Takes Root

In its preliminary stages, the project was all about mapping. Robertson and Beeson concentrated on developing a collection of area maps that would leave nothing in the prospect to chance—an effort appropriately dubbed "no shortcuts."

A key piece of the project came from a series of maps that Robertson's father had drawn up when he was working on the Austin Chalk and Giddings Field. Produced some 30 years ago, the maps showed their age. They had taken on a yellowish hue and were tattered and worn. The maps, lovingly referred to as "The Dead Sea Scrolls," emerged as a crucial component of the project.

"We had done our homework, and once the lease blocks fell into place and Petrohawk made the financial commitment, the prospect was for real," says Robertson.

With maps and leases in place, the team selected a location and a rig was mobilized. "I drove out to the #1H STS location right after the rig moved in—when I saw the derrick up, I knew the deal would work," says Robertson.

Sprouting A Giant

Robertson was at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where the Texas Longhorns were taking on the Oklahoma Sooners, when he received a call reporting a discovery. In retrospect, he says, given the thrilling news from Hawkville coupled with a Longhorn win, the timing of the call couldn't have been more fitting.

The Hawkville discovery was announced on October 21, 2008. The well that opened the field was #1H STS 241. Drilled to a depth of 11,300 feet and hit with a 10-stage frac, the well's production rate debuted at 9.1 million cubic feet of gas equivalent per day—history in the making.

"While you always hope for the best, this greatly exceeded everyone's expectations," says Charles Cusack, Petrohawk Energy Corp. Vice President of Exploration.

The team drilled several confirmation wells. The breakout well was followed up by #1H Dora Martin, approximately 15 miles from the #1H STS. Many wells now dot this core area of the Eagle Ford shale.

"We chose the Eagle Ford due to favorable infrastructure, workable surface and a political climate friendly to energy companies," says Cusack. "Since the discovery, the economic benefit to the respective South Texas counties and to the country is becoming ra­pidly apparent."

Reaping What Was Sowed

The year Hawkville was discovered, Petrohawk experienced a 39% increase in total production over the prior year, according to its 2008 annual report. But getting to that point took many months of diligence, overtime, hard work and, in truth, some luck.

"While you always hope for the best, this greatly exceeded everyone's expectations," says Cusack. "This has been a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. It has been such a whirlwind of leasing and drilling activity that we have not had much time to reflect on the significance of it."

Each person involved in the project had an integral part to play in its overall success. The once-small project has grown much larger than perhaps anyone could have imagined, the result of the mutual trust and enthusiasm of all involved.

"This project was led by people who are the best in the business," says Robertson. "They set out to find a new shale play and found one of the best in the world."

Furthermore, the discovery of Hawkville Field represents a validation of the relationships-based approach to business he's practiced throughout his career. "My father worked hard for 20 years building goodwill in the industry," says Robertson. "My involvement in the discovery of Hawkville Field is the culmination of my career, which has been devoted to the principles of cultivating relationships the way my father taught me."

Now, the tiny seed of an idea he planted in 2008 has grown into a world-class field. And for Robertson, this one orchard is sufficient.

"I would like to stay involved with Hawkville for awhile, but eventually the larger companies will take over the small ones like me, so it won't be forever. I have no desire to climb any more mountains and I'm serious about retiring from the business," he says. "Really."

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