brought to you by the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council (BSEEC)

When it comes to earth conditions, there are two kinds of oil and gas deposits: conventional and unconventional. The Barnett Shale is considered an unconventional deposit by geologists because the methane gas is not located in highly porous rock formations which create easy-to-access pockets of gas (known as “conventional” deposits).

In the Barnett Shale, the source rock in the shale has to be fractured to release the gas. Two methods are used:

• Larger hydraulic fracturing methods use water and sand under high force to break the rock and release the gas.
• Horizontal drilling techniques.

This unique combination of new technology and techniques was first used in the late 1990s and made drilling for natural gas in the Barnett Shale a reality on a large scale.

With the advent of directional and horizontal drilling technology, natural gas wells have a much smaller impact on land than drilling vertical wells because multiple wells can be drilled off of one well site. These new drilling techniques are also quieter and more energy efficient.

To learn more about natural gas drilling and fracturing — including a Q&A, visit the BSEEC's dedicated page for Barnett Shale residents and the general public.