Fayetteville Shale

The Fayetteville Shale is a geological formation stretching from Sebastian and Crawford counties in the western part of Arkansas all the way across the state to Lee and Phillips counties on the Mississippi River. In central Arkansas the Fayetteville shale belt is located in Conway County, Van Buren County, Faulkner County, Cleburne County, and White County.

The Fayetteville Shale is often compared to the natural gas-bearing Barnett Shale in northeastern Texas. It is a natural gas play of considerable interest to drilling companies and investors. The natural gas deposits in the Fayetteville Shale are unconventional. They are located 1,450-6,700 feet underground in bands from 60 to 575 feet thick.