At a time when much of America struggles to rebound from the greatest recession in a generation, North Texas is thriving. The Barnett Shale is a big reason why.
- Natural gas production supports more than 100,000 jobs in North Texas.
- Between 2001–2015, the Barnett Shale is projected to produce more than $100 billion in economic output.
- In 2011, Barnett-related activity led to an estimated 119,216 jobs and nearly $13.7 billion for Texas as a whole.
- In 2011, the Barnett Shale produced an estimated $730 million in tax revenue for communities and schools.
- In 2011, Texas as a whole received an estimated $911.8 million from Barnett-related activities, for a total gain in state taxes of an estimated $1.6 billion.
The Barnett Shale has expanded the regional economy in lasting ways. Approximately 38.5% of the growth in the regional economy over the past decade has come from Barnett-related activity. In fact, the Barnett now accounts for about 8.5% of the local economy.
Only 10 years ago, there was virtually no production in the Barnett Shale. Today, it’s powering economic output larger than mainstay industries in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex – about 5% higher than aircraft manufacturing, 10% higher than air transportation, and 83% larger than motor vehicle production.