Gas reservoirs that water out under moderate to strong water drives are normally abandoned when the expenses associated with salt-water disposal make continued operations uneconomical. Under favorable conditions, however, watered-out reservoirs can continue to produce substantial quantities of gas at competitive prices if operators are prepared to dispose of large volumes of water. Enhanced gas recovery (EGR) techniques can extend production from many reservoirs that are now watering out and will soon be abandoned if conventional practices are followed.

Data collected during the last 5 years on the 15 shallow salt diapirs that extend upward to shallow depths (<4,000 ft, 1,220 m) in the East Texas Basin are presented here in graphical and tabular form. East Texas Basin salt diapirs penetrate and have controlled the deformation of Jurassic and younger units in the central part of the basin. The regional geologic setting of the salt diapirs is summarized, and the meaning and significance of descriptive terms are discussed. This compendium contains both primary and secondary data.