# Horizontal drilling in Mississippian shale
**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/horizontal-drilling-in-mississippian-shale/23170
**Category:** General Mineral Rights Discussion
**Created:** [June 26, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/horizontal-drilling-in-mississippian-shale/23170 "2011-06-26T02:55:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@John\_S\_Alexander](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/John_S_Alexander)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/horizontal-drilling-in-mississippian-shale/23170/1 "2011-06-26T02:55:04Z")
I have been told by one company that they are interested in doing horizontal drilling in our area and another company tells me the Mississippian shale formation, in our area, is not thick enough for horizontal drilling. How thick does the formation need to be to accommodate practical horizontal drilling?
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### Author:  [@Jason\_Stewart](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Jason_Stewart)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/horizontal-drilling-in-mississippian-shale/23170/2 "2011-10-14T03:52:34Z")
A little late responding here, but I see you have no responses. I have done previous horizontal work in the Bakken in North Dakota. In the area I was working, we drilled wells to a true vertical depth of +/- 10,000’ with an additional 8,000’ - 9,000’ horizontal leg in a productive formation that ranged from 8 to 20’ in height. I haven’t worked Mississippian, but depending on the quality of the rock, horizontal drilling can be profitable in very thin formations that are as little as 10’ in thickness.
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### Author:  [@system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/horizontal-drilling-in-mississippian-shale/23170/3 "2018-08-15T04:19:30Z")