Arkansas may not be one of the first states people think of for oil and gas, but it has a productive energy industry and one of the most important shale gas plays in the country. The state straddles two energy regions — the Gulf Coast Basin in the south and the Arkoma Basin in the north — giving it a diverse set of geological targets.
The Fayetteville Shale
The Fayetteville Shale made Arkansas nationally known in the oil and gas industry during the 2000s. This natural gas shale lies at depths of 1,500 to 6,500 feet under north-central Arkansas, within the Arkoma Basin. Southwestern Energy (SWN) was the first company to develop the Fayetteville on a large scale beginning around 2004. At the peak of the boom (around 2012), the Fayetteville was producing nearly 3 billion cubic feet of gas per day, making Arkansas a significant gas producer. Lower gas prices have slowed activity, but the formation still produces.
Southern Arkansas Oil Fields
The southern part of Arkansas sits over the Gulf Coast Basin and has conventional oil production from the Smackover Formation and other carbonate and sandstone targets. The Smackover in southern Arkansas produces both oil and natural gas from carbonate reefs and grainstones similar to those found in Mississippi and Louisiana. This region has been producing since the 1920s.
Who Regulates Arkansas Wells?
The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) is the state regulatory agency. It issues drilling permits, enforces well spacing, collects production data, and oversees well plugging. The AOGC also has jurisdiction over underground injection wells, including saltwater disposal. Public records are available at aogc.state.ar.us.
Arkoma Basin Geology
Beyond the Fayetteville Shale, the Arkoma Basin has conventional gas production from tight sandstone formations. The Hartshorne Coal in the western Arkoma Basin (mostly in Oklahoma) produces coal bed methane. Understanding the Arkoma Basin's complex structural geology is important for operators working in the region, and AOGC well records provide decades of data for that analysis.