Representative Work

Selected projects across acreage evaluation, delineation, and development.

Selected projects from Cheston Cooper's industry career and XStrata consulting engagements, showing the scale, scope, and progression of the work behind XStrata today.

Employment experience, prior to XStrata

Cothrom Unit

Legacy Reserves · East Texas Basin

Problem
Legacy Reserves held acreage in the East Texas Basin without having recognized the Haynesville and MidBossier development potential beneath it.
Role
Senior Geologist, responsible for identifying and presenting East Texas development opportunities to the company.
Approach
Cheston built the geological model demonstrating viable, economic reservoir potential in the Haynesville and MidBossier, developed the resulting drilling and development plan, and worked with Land to secure BLM approval for the federal unit.
Scale
21,000+ acre federal gas unit. 279-well potential horizontal development inventory. Approximately $18 million initially committed across leasing, operations, and data.
Result
Legacy Reserves committed capital and drilled the first evaluation well following the model and plan Cheston developed.
Regional cross section illustrating stratigraphic relationships across the Cothrom development area.
Multi-well geological cross section correlating Bossier and Haynesville intervals across the Cothrom area.

Regional cross section illustrating stratigraphic relationships across the Cothrom development area.

Subsea structure interpretation used in evaluation of the Bossier interval.
Bossier subsea structure map with contours, wells, and structural interpretation in the Cothrom area.

Subsea structure interpretation used in evaluation of the Bossier interval.

Employment experience, prior to XStrata

Range Leasehold

Southwestern Energy · Appalachian Basin

Problem
Southwestern Energy needed a full-field development plan for its Marcellus position in northwest Pennsylvania, covering leasehold, delineation, and development sequencing.
Role
Senior/Staff Geologist, later Planning Team Supervisor, directing the geological and planning side of the Range area program.
Approach
Cheston led Marcellus reservoir evaluation, worked with Land and Field personnel on drill site selection and further leasing, coordinated landing-zone and lateral-length decisions with Reservoir Engineering, and built the delineation-to-development sequencing for the area.
Scale
50,000+ acres leased. 180+ well potential development program.
Result
By the end of Cheston's involvement, the area was producing more than 0.75 BCF per day, the result of a multidisciplinary development effort in which he held lead geological and planning responsibility, not an outcome he alone produced.

Western Haynesville

Interstate Explorations · East Texas Basin

Problem
An acreage position in the Western Haynesville needed an initial leasing effort and, later, an independent read on its delineation and drilling potential.
Role
Cheston identified the area as prospective for the MidBossier and Haynesville. The initial leasing effort, roughly 12,000 acres, and its sale to Interstate Explorations, was conducted through Imperium Energy, separately from XStrata. XStrata's involvement began afterward, as a consulting engagement to Interstate Explorations.
Approach
During the XStrata engagement, Cheston identified further delineation and drilling opportunities on the position for Interstate Explorations.
Scale
Approximately 12,000-acre position.
Result
Interstate Explorations subsequently sold 75% of its working interest in the asset to Mitsui. Mitsui was not a client of Cheston Cooper or XStrata and had no contractual relationship with either; the transaction is described here as chronology, not as an outcome XStrata caused.
Subsea structure interpretation supporting evaluation of the Western Haynesville position.
Western Haynesville subsea structure map showing structural contours and interpreted subsurface features.

Subsea structure interpretation supporting evaluation of the Western Haynesville position.

Cross section illustrating subsurface correlations across the evaluated area.
Multi-well geological cross section showing Bossier and Haynesville stratigraphic correlations.

Cross section illustrating subsurface correlations across the evaluated area.

CCS Petrophysical Studies

TGS Onshore Products · East Texas, Uinta, Piceance, Paradox, Greater Green River, Wind River, Powder River, Williston

Problem
TGS Onshore Products needed petrophysical models across multiple basins to support a client's evaluation of underground carbon-storage viability.
Role
Geologic Consultant, XStrata LLC.
Approach
Cheston built petrophysical models across the basins listed above for TGS's onshore products group.
Scale
Petrophysical analysis spanning eight basins.
Result
Petrophysical models completed and delivered to TGS for the client's CCS evaluation.
Representative petrophysical example.
Petrophysical well-log interpretation example used for underground carbon-storage evaluation.

Representative petrophysical example.

Additional XStrata engagements include work for Arrington Oil & Gas, Crescent Pass Energy, and Apex Natural Gas.

Discuss a Project

Bring XStrata in when the geology needs to inform the next decision.

Reach out directly, or send a few details through the form. Cheston works on focused evaluations as well as longer engagements spanning delineation, drilling strategy, and development planning.

Location
Houston, Texas