The Barnett Shale (Mississippian) in the Delaware basin has the potential to be a prolific gas producer. It is organic-rich and thermally mature over large portions of the basin. Depths to the Barnett range from 7,000 feet (2,333 meters) along the western edge of the basin to more than 18,000 feet (6,000 meters) along the basin axis. The Barnett Shale began generating gas 250 Ma ago and remains in the gas window to this day. The shale can be divided into an upper clastic unit and a lower limy unit by changes in resistivity. The lower unit can be subdivided into five subunits by distinctive well-log markers. Preliminary analyses suggest that intervals in the lower Barnett marked by high resistivity and high neutron porosity readings on well-logs have high gas contents. Areas in which to focus future exploration can be delineated by mapping net-resistivity greater than 50 ohmm in the lower Barnett.*

*This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat.