About Haynesville Shale

The Haynesville formation is a layer of sedimentary rock more than 10,000 feet below the surface of the Earth in the area of northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas and eastern Texas, with some of the formation stretching well across the northern central portion of the Louisiana. Several energy companies have begun work in the area to explore the shale formation and drill for natural gas based on findings indicating a potentially large supply of gas trapped within some portions of the shale.

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The formation is of a type once considered too costly to explore, but rising energy costs and newer technology and processes have changed that, leading to a rush of activity as energy exploration companies have begun to lease property in north Louisiana in preparation for possible drilling and production. In light of that, the value landowners are able to get for selling leases has risen sharply.

The most active areas have been Caddo, Bienville, Bossier, DeSoto, Red River and Webster Parishes of Louisiana plus adjacent areas in southwest Arkansas and east Texas. With the comparatively sudden change in activity have come questions and concerns about the prices landowners are getting for leases, the impact of new exploration and production activity, and government oversight of the industry.

Haynesville Shale Orientation:
The Haynesville Shale, is a black, organic-rich shale of Upper Jurassic age that underlies much of the Gulf Coast area of the United States. "Haynesville Shale" is a drillers term for shale rock units within the Haynesville Formation.

The Haynesville Formation is underlain by the Smackover Formation and overlain by rocks of the Cotton Valley Group. It was deposited about 150 million years ago in a shallow offshore environment.

Geologists have long known that the Haynesville Formation contained natural gas. However, because of its low permeability the Haynesville was originally considered to be a gas source rock rather than a gas reservoir.

Today, natural gas production from the Haynesville occurs from rocks about two miles beneath northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas and eastern Texas. The most productive areas have been Caddo, Bienville, Bossier, DeSoto, Red River and Webster Parishes of Louisiana plus adjacent areas in southwest Arkansas and east Texas.