Official says early signs are positive on oil play north of Baton Rouge

The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale formation covers 2.7 million acres across southwest Mississippi and central Louisiana, including the Felicianas, St. Helena Parish, and areas in northern Pointe Coupee, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes. A 1997 LSU study estimates it could contain about 7 billion barrels of oil. While wells have been drilled in the shale in the past with some success, advanced drilling techniques could make the formation more productive. “They’ve got some wells that are getting ready to be drilled that are going to be significant, kind of the proof of the pudding,” says Louisiana Oil & Gas Association President Don Briggs. “But there’s enough leasing going on to give you some satisfaction that obviously it’s pretty damn good, or they wouldn’t be spending the money on leases they’re spending. … They’re drilling the additional wells because what they got looked pretty good.” North Louisiana’s Haynesville Shale remains far better known. However, Haynesville is a natural gas play, and natural gas is far less profitable at the moment than oil, a factor that adds to the Tuscaloosa formation’s attractiveness. On the other hand, Briggs says, companies drilling in the Haynesville Shale almost are guaranteed to hit pay dirt; it remains to be seen if the Tuscaloosa formation will be that productive. Devon Energy, Indigo II Louisiana [a division of Indigo Minerals], Denbury Resources, and Goodrich Petroleum are among the companies reported to be exploring in the formation. —David Jacobs