Published July 30, 2011 by the Express-News Editorial Board

Advances in recovering oil and gas from deep shale formations have reinvigorated the U.S. oil and gas industry. According to some energy analysts, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, holds the promise of unlocking a 100-year domestic supply of natural gas.

For Texas, the consequences of fracking are big and getting bigger. Development of the Barnett Shale in North Texas and the Eagle Ford Shale, which covers a large swath of South Texas, has created an economic boom.

The Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio looked at the economic impact of the Eagle Ford deposit. In a study released in February, the center estimated that by 2020 the Eagle Ford would account for close to $11.6 billion in gross state product, $21.6 billion in total economic output and support close to 68,000 full-time jobs.

Fracking may play an essential role in decreasing U.S. reliance on foreign sources of energy. It might serve as the foundation of a huge economic generator. But that presumes there is no public or regulatory backlash against the technique, which already is not without controversy.

Fracking requires the use of large amounts of water and a brew of chemicals to create fractures in formations deep underground. That raises questions about water management and the potential contamination of water resources.

With so much at stake, it's essential that Texas get fracking right. A safe and sustainable track record in Texas can set a national regulatory standard and make it easier for oil and gas companies to responsibly develop shale deposits elsewhere.

Railroad Commissioner David Porter deserves praise for recognizing the promise and the peril of fracking. Having learned from problems in the Barnett Shale, Porter created a 22-member Eagle Ford Task Force of stakeholders — including environmentalists — to communicate with the public, address thorny issues such as water and develop a system of best practices.

Fracking presents Texas and the nation with a tremendous opportunity to develop domestic sources of natural gas, a relatively clean form of energy. The Eagle Ford Task Force can play a big part in turning that opportunity into a reality.