square miles
Approximate area cited for the productive Barnett Shale region.
ABOUT THE REGION
Understanding the Fort Worth Basin
Geology, natural gas, and the North-Central Texas landscape.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
A basin with a major shale formation
The Fort Worth Basin is a sedimentary basin in North-Central Texas. The Barnett Shale, an organic-rich Mississippian-age formation, is one of the region’s best-known hydrocarbon-bearing units and became an important example of development using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
The productive area is commonly described as covering about 5,000 square miles beneath and around the Dallas–Fort Worth region. The precise boundary and county count can differ between agencies and technical descriptions.
Geology alone does not determine the outcome of any oil or gas project. Production, commodity prices, operating costs, regulation, environmental considerations, and well-specific conditions can all affect results.
Explore Barnett Shale details
geologic period
The Barnett is made up of sedimentary rocks from this period.
regional focus
The formation underlies portions of the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
About the information on this site
This website provides general geological and energy background information. It is not investment, legal, tax, engineering, or environmental advice. References to reserves, operators, and production are time-sensitive and should be checked against primary sources. No production result or financial return is guaranteed.
For additional detail, consult the Railroad Commission of Texas Barnett Shale overview and the U.S. Energy Information Administration reserves data.
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