Abstract
The coal bed methane industry has been present in the United States since at least the 1920s. The most recent surge in activity began in the 1980s and was driven by tax credits. In the 1990s rising gas prices increased activity in both the United States and Canada. Activity peaked and is presently in a very mature stage in the mid-2000s as shale gas replaced coal bed methane.
Coalbed methane and shale gas production has been present in the Cherokee basin since the 1920s (Figure 1). The reservoirs are generally found from 80 meters to 650 meters with an average depth of 375 meters. Many wells will flow gas in a very short period of time and generally have low water production. Individual reservoirs tend to 0.6 to 1.2 meters thick and are of Desmoinesian age. Reservoir characteristics have only been defined post field development. The Cherokee basin now has 20 years of production history for over 5,000 wells which allows a more detail analysis of reservoir characteristics and what actual reserves are.
