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Abstract
Modern high density completion techniques, including hybrid slickwater fracs, and a stacked and stagger co-development strategy with the underlying Upper Eagle Ford, are generating nice wells in the Austin Chalk play in South Texas. Vertical wells came in big, generating large quantities of light sweet crude and natural gas in a geographic region that parallels the oil window of today's Eagle Ford Shale. But the fractures drained quickly and production dropped precipitously. Multiple operators are returning to the Chalk as an Eagle Ford extension. Murphy Oil Corp completed a Chalk appraisal in Karnes County this summer that produced 1,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day and will continue testing the Chalk in 2016. The developing narrative is that operators have embarked on Austin Chalk 3.0 and are applying unconventional drilling and completion techniques, including extended laterals, shorter stage spacing at 225 feet, and hybrid slickwater and heavier proppant loading at 2,500 pounds per foot to fracture stimulate the carbonate play.