ABSTRACT

The deep Tuscaloosa play extending across south central Louisiana has resulted in the recent discovery of large gas reserves. This same downdip lower Upper Cretaceous interval, known as the Woodbine in southeast Texas, extends into Texas across Newton, Jasper, Polk and Tyler Counties. Although well control is sparce through this interval in southeast Texas, available data suggests a different depositional and structural setting for the lower Upper Cretaceous interval. There are no thick units of sands within the interval, and most of the production to date has been found in stratigraphic traps exhibiting thin sands such as the Seven Oaks field.

Subsurface studies of the lower Upper Cretaceous interval across south central Louisiana and into southeast Texas indicate it is unlikely the Louisiana Tuscaloosa play will extend into the southeast Texas area. However, there is sparce downdip control in Texas south of the Lower Cretaceous shelf edge and it is, therefore, possible that some sands have been deposited sub-parallel to the shelf. The best area to explore for this possibility would be south of the 1,000-ft. Tuscaloosa or Woodbine isopachous contour which extends across southeast Texas.