ABSTRACT

Since the discovery of Tuscaloosa production at False River field in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana on May 31, 1975, the Tuscaloosa trend of south central Louisiana has developed into the most active deep exploratory play in the U.S.A. Drilling activity since the discovery of the False River field has resulted in the additional discovery of thirteen Tuscaloosa gas-condensate fields, one Tuscaloosa oil field, three Austin Chalk discoveries, and one Wilcox discovery. As of March 1980, two hundred forty-one permits have been issued by the Louisiana Department of Conservation. Of this number, one hundred nineteen are wildcats which have been drilled or are drilling below a depth of 15,000 ft. The success ratio for wildcats is one of six, or sixteen and two-thirds percent and field extension and development drilling has resulted in a success ratio of one of two, or fifty percent.

There are in excess of four million acres under lease in the trend. One hundred twenty-nine thousand, six hundred eighty acres have been placed in Tuscaloosa drilling units by the Louisiana Department of Conservation. Some of the most significant fields discovered along the trend are the False River field, West Baton Rouge Parish; the Moncrief, Judge Digby, and Moore-Sams fields in Pointe Coupee Parish; the Port Hudson, Irene and Profit Island fields in East Baton Rouge Parish; and the Lockhart Crossing field in Livingston Parish, Louisiana. Proven reserves of four trillion cubic feet of gas and four hundred million barrels of condensate have been established. In addition, available seismic and subsurface data indicate the future reserve potential of the Tuscaloosa to be estimated at sixteen trillion cubic feet of gas.

A detailed subsurface and stratigraphic study of the existing fields to date should serve as a guide for locating other major reserves along the trend.

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