Not long ago, the Barnett Shale formation in north Texas represented a geological puzzle that had gone unsolved for more than 40 years. Geoscientists knew vast energy resources were sealed inside the tight, black rock formed from organic material deposited 325 million years ago. The challenge was recovering them.
Through a lot of hard work and a good deal of unconventional thinking, Devon Energy has unlocked the stingy shale known for its low porosity and high complexity. Devon is a pioneer in the Barnett, using innovations in technology to literally crack open the shale to release the natural gas sealed inside. Engineers use a method known as fracturing to foster permeability in the shale. Crews inject a mixture of fresh water and sand into the rock at high pressure to fracture the formation and release gas trapped inside. The technology has given Devon access to vast resources, transforming this challenging play surrounding Fort Worth into one of the nation's most important natural gas producing fields.
Devon has drilled nearly 3,000 wells into the Barnett Shale since 2002. Use of fracturing technology has helped Devon increase its Barnett production from 200 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day in 2002 to more than 1 billion today. Devon accounts for nearly a quarter of the field's overall daily production of more than 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.
In all, Devon has nearly 3,500 wells in the field. The majority of these wells are located in Denton County, Johnson County, Parker County, Tarrant County and Wise County, where the company uses innovations such as horizontal drilling and advanced seismic technology to ensure each well reaches its full production potential. Devon is optimistic about its future production growth in the Barnett Shale as we continue to expand our ability to recover natural gas contained under a dominant lease position of more than 715,000 net acres.
Through Devon's pioneering effort, the Barnett Shale has emerged as the largest natural gas field in Texas. Within the last several years, Devon has made significant advances in developing and enhancing production from the Barnett. The north Texas play has potential to remain one of the country's most vital energy resources for many years to come. Devon's accomplishments in the Barnett are an example of how technology and innovation are helping to meet growing energy demands by finding new ways to tap North America's remaining reserves.