Texas Sits On 1.6 Billion Barrels Of Undiscovered Oil, New Study Shows

[Elderberry]

The Dallas Express 1/15/2026

A new federal geological assessment finds that deep shale formations beneath the Permian Basin contain an estimated 1.6 billion barrels of previously undiscovered oil, underscoring Texas’ continued role as a cornerstone of U.S. energy production.

The study estimates that the same formations also hold 28.3 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, resources that could be extracted using existing drilling technology. At current consumption rates, those volumes would be sufficient to supply the United States with natural gas for roughly 10 months and oil for about 10 weeks, according to the assessment.

The oil and gas are located primarily within the Woodford and Barnett shale formations, which extend beneath parts of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. In some areas, the formations lie as deep as 20,000 feet below the surface, placing them beyond the reach of earlier drilling methods.

More: https://dallasexpress.com/state/texas-sits-on-1-6-billion-barrels-of-undiscovered-oil-new-study-shows/

[Smokin Joe]

At 20,000 ft., it is likely source rocks have reached thermal maturity that will chiefly produce gas and NGLs, not so much oil.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

At 20,000 ft., it is likely source rocks have reached thermal maturity that will chiefly produce gas and NGLs, not so much oil.

  Seems highly likely.

What is also a truism is that the best place to find oil and gas is where it has been found before.