Barnett Key Play

The Barnett was the first shale play to reach critical mass and was instrumental in proving that tight reservoirs could compete with conventional plays. It was one of the early plays to adopt horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, paving the way for the US shale revolution. Early development focused heavily in the core counties of the play. By the mid-2000s, operators began expanding into counties adjacent to the most urban portions of the greater Fort Worth area. Production peaked at over 4.5 bcfd and at one point the play accounted for one third of all horizontal rigs in the Lower 48. The Barnett also became the first unconventional play to enter decline. Today, the Barnett is a mature, low-decline system where operators focus on managing base production, with resilience supported by a large legacy well inventory and targeted optimization activity.