The Bureau of Economic Geology—this bureaucratic title belies the essence of this organization: an ongoing group of professionals with a definite personality. In fact, the history of public geological research in Texas is the story of dedicated, inquisitive scientists shunning the higher salaries and opportunities offered by private enterprise to serve their science and the State of Texas.

The Texas Panhandle traditionally has been an important source of mineral resources, especially petroleum, and resources will continue to contribute heavily to the economy of the area. The seven cross sections of this report synthesize the subsurface geology of the region. They illustrate the genetic stratigraphic framework of the pre-evaporite, principally Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian, rocks in those parts of the Anadarko, Dalhart, Palo Duro, and northern Midland Basins that lie within the Texas Panhandle.

The Hueco Tanks geothermal area contains five known but now inactive hot wells (50° to 71°C). The area trends north-south along the east side of Tularosa-Hueco Bolson astride the Texas-New Mexico border approximately 40 km northeast of El Paso. Because of its proximity to El Paso, geothermal water in the Hueco Tanks area could be a significant resource. Hueco Bolson is an asymmetric graben. Greatest displacement along boundary faults is on the west side adjacent to the Franklin Mountains.

Lineament analysis is part of a broad spectrum of structural studies employed to determine the tectonic stability of the East Texas Basin. Such information is necessary to assess the suitability of East Texas salt domes as possible repository sites for the storage of high-level nuclear wastes.

 Geologic map that depicts the surface geology of Sutton County and parts of Terrell, Crockett, Val Verde, Edwards, Kimble, Menard, Schleicher, and Pecos Counties.