Near-surface lignite resources in Texas, or those under less than 200 feet (61 m) of cover, are ample to meet the state's demand for lignite in this century. However, meeting demand in the early decades of the next century and beyond will require the recovery of lignite resources below 200 feet (61 m) in the deep basin. Ultimately, the economics of recovery and use of these deep resources will be governed by their quantity, depth, quality, and hydrogeologic suitability.

Among lignite-bearing geologic units in Texas, only the Wilcox Group serves as both a principal lignite host and a major freshwater aquifer. Few details are known about Wilcox deep-basin lignite resources, and uncertainty surrounds the environmental impact of deep surface mining and underground gasification of lignite on a major freshwater aquifer. Failure to quantify the potential threat to groundwater resources will result in continual controversy and expensive litigation over lignite development, perhaps even stopping future use altogether.

Controversy arises from the simultaneous need to minimize environmental impact while maximizing lignite recovery. These issues are best resolved within the framework of a regional hydrogeologic and compositional database. To address this, data on the location, size, hydrogeologic setting, and composition of deep lignite resources in the Wilcox-Carrizo aquifer system of East Texas were collected. Their implications for future lignite development are summarized as follows.