Shale Play on Words

We’ve heard the Fayetteville Shale Play referred to as everything from “plate” to “plane” by some of Northwest Arkansas’ television reporters, but the correct word is “play.”

The geologic formation, which stretches across the state to the Mississippi River, is only visible in one spot — a cliff behind China Chan Restaurant at 2890 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville. The shale is about eight-feet thick behind the restaurant. Across the rest of the state, the shale is deeper underground, providing better opportunities for oil and natural gas deposits.

The Fayetteville Shale Play is expected to have a $5.5 billion impact on Arkansas’ economy through 2008 as oil companies sign leases to explore the formation.