In the discussion here I use the term net volume to refer to
the volume of prospective rock that might be developed to produce tight
oil. For each bench of a prospective
tight oil play (Wolfcamp A would be one example of a bench) there is an area
estimate (5733 thousand acres for Wolfcamp A of Delaware) and a success ratio
(%) = 94.7, in the case of Wolfcamp A.
Net acres are the total acres times the success ratio, for Wolfcamp A,
5429 thousand net acres. On average the
Wolfcamp A of the Delaware basin is about 400 feet thick, so the net volume
would be net acres times thickness or 2172 million acre-feet. An acre-foot is a volume that is one acre
(44,000 square feet) by one foot thick or 44,000 cubic feet (or a box that is
1000 ft long by 44 feet wide by 1 foot high.)
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