Permian Basin
The Permian Basin formed as an area of rapid Mississippian-Pennsylvanian subsidence in the foreland of the Ouachita fold belt. It is one of the largest sedimentary basins in the U.S., and has oil and gas production from several reservoirs from Permian through Ordovician in age. The term "Wolfberry" was coined initially to indicate commingled production from the Permian Spraberry, Dean and Wolfcamp formations. The Wolfberry play of the Midland Basin lies in the area where the historically productive Spraberry trend geographically overlaps the productive area of the emerging Wolfcamp play.
The Wolfberry play can be generally characterized as a combination of low-permeability clastic, carbonate and shale reservoirs which are hydrocarbon-charged and are economic due to the overall thickness of the section (more than 3,000 feet) and application of enhanced stimulation (fracking) techniques. The Wolfberry is an unconventional "basin-centered oil" resource play, in the sense that there is no regional downdip oil/water contact.
There are also productive carbonate and shale intervals within the shallower Permian Clearfork formation. Two shale intervals within the Clearfork formation are currently being evaluated for potential horizontal development. Below the Wolfcamp formation lie the Pennsylvanian Strawn and Atoka formations. Although difficult to predict, there are conventional pay intervals that develop locally within these formations which, when present, can add significant reserves.
Debris flows within the Spraberry and Wolfcamp carbonates have been observed on 3-D seismic surveys and initial tests have confirmed the presence of enhanced reservoir. Additionally, structural closures have been mapped and are being evaluated for drilling to test deeper targets. Our extensive geophysical database, which includes approximately 285 square miles of proprietary 3-D seismic data, will be used to enhance grading of future locations.