A study shows that production from the natural gas-rich Barnett Shale has risen even as drilling activity and natural gas prices have fallen.
Economist Ray Perryman writes in the study commissioned by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and released Wednesday, that oil and gas drilling in the Barnett Shale contributes $11.8 billion annually to the North Texas economy.
That's up from an annual rate of $11.1 billion in 2011. Drilling adds $480.6 million in taxes to local cities, counties and school districts.
Though activity has declined, Perryman says output has partly increased with infrastructure investment and advances in drilling.
The study comes as some residents question whether the drilling poses risks to human health and the environment, and ahead of a November referendum in Denton on a fracking ban.
