The Eagle Ford Shale is a wide geographic area stretching from the Mexican border in South Texas into East Texas. Geologists have known it contains huge amounts of oil and natural gas since the 1970s. Only recently have they been able to tap into its vast resources.

The Eagle Ford Shale is about 50 miles wide and 400 miles long and currently has 23 fields that cover 24 counties. As of March 15, 2012, there have been 3,649 wells permitted in the Eagle Ford Shale.

According to Texas Railroad Commission data, development of the Eagle Ford Shale produced 243 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 30.4 million barrels of oil in 2011. In 2012, the Eagle Ford Shale generated nearly $61 billion in total economic impact, supported approximately 116,508 full-time jobs in the area, and provided more than $1.01 billion in local government revenue.

Eagle Ford By The Numbers - 2012 Total Impacts*

* UTSA 2012 Study: Economic Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale

Get more information about the Eagle Ford Shale. Click here to download the executive summary of the “2012 Economic Impact of the Eagle Ford Shale," a study done by The University of Texas at San Antonio. Hear what locals have to say about the positive impact the Eagle Ford Shale is having on South Texas in this video:

See how the Eagle Ford Shale compares to the Barnett Shale.