What is the Haynesville Shale? It is a deep layer of gas bearing rock that is located along the Gulf Coast area of the U.S, particularly near Louisiana and Texas. It is part of the Haynesville formation which was deposited about one hundred and fifty million years ago during the Upper Jurassic age.

For years the Haynesville shale was know about, and considered just a source rock, or source of natural gas which was then trapped in sandstone and limestone formations above. 

Shale is similar to mudstone, only more laminated but has a very low permeability. It is because of that low permeability that oil companies could not previously extract gas from the Haynesville shale with vertical wells. As horizontal drilling was developed, along with hydraulic fracturing using high pressure water to open up fissures and cracks it became evident that the Haynesville shale could potentially be a gas reservoir itself. 
 

Now wells are being drilled at a depth of approximately two miles under areas of Northwestern Louisiana, southern Arkansas and East Texas. Drilling has been heavy in Caddo, Bossier and Red River Parishes among others.
Chesapeake, which is one of the major players in the Haynesville shale, estimates that this area may hold more reserves than any of their other fields and may be the single biggest asset of the company.

This map Illustrates some of the hottest zones for drilling in the Haynesville shale
 

Here is another map that Illustrates the extent of the Haynesville Shale

Here is a detailed map of the Haynesville shale from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources: PDF, Haynesville Shale Map

Some estimates show that the Haynesville Shale may hold upwards of 40 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making it one of the largest gas reserves in the United States and the World. It rivals the size of the hugely productive Barnett Shale although it is smaller in size than the massive Marcellus Formation which is located in the Northeast United States.

It has been estimated that the economic impact of a similar sized shale gas formation, the Barnett Shale, was equivalent to four Boeing Jet aircraft plants being built in the Dallas - Fort Worth Area. If this is any indication of the impact that the Haynesville shale will have we are sure to see a huge economic boost to this area of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas,

If you are a landowner fortunate enough to own the mineral rights to your land you should proceed with caution. Signing a minerals lease is serious business and you have a right to stipulate how your land will be repaired and your compensation during and after the drilling process.

Even if you do not own the mineral rights to your land you could profit from having a Haynesville Shale well on your property. Oil companies often buy surface water from ponds for drilling and you may get good hard surface roads around your farm or ranch. You are also entitled to damages whenever a gas or oil well is drilled. Make sure you get with nearby landowners to see what they have been paid by oil companies for each location and damage to crops, fences and other property.

In this You Tube Video from KSLA a group of citizens deal with signing minerals leases in urban areas. Such areas become very complex for both royalty owners and oil companies due to the large number of owners.

Here is a You Tube Video about the impact of these type of shale formations.

 

The Haynesville Shale Formation and similar shale gas formations such as the Barnett sale and Marcellus shale may hold the key to America's energy future. Many people such as oilman T. Boone Pickens see a future where natural gas from these shale formations powers our cars as well as our homes. If you are fortunate enough to live in one of these areas you will see an economic boost that will carry regions like Northwest Louisiana forward through tough economic times ahead of other regions. The job outlook and real estate prices in areas in and surrounding the Haynesville Shale will be well above the national average and property taxes will remain below average due the the huge amount of tax revenue from gas production.

For more information on these formations try The Marcellus Shale Formation

and Info On The Barnett Shale Formation 

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