Marcellus Shale Becoming Nation’s Top Natural Gas Play

Recent History

• The Marcellus Shale is an organic rich shale that is located beneath the states of New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

• Extensive drilling of region just began roughly 5 years ago and it already is considered to be one of the most productive natural gas fields in the country.

Current Marcellus Activity

• Today the Marcellus Shale is producing roughly 7.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. That is more than 25% of our nation’s shale gas production.

• In recent years the Haynesville shale has been known to be the leading shale gas play in the nation but the recent success of the Marcellus is about to make that change.

Reason for Shift

• The number of drilling rigs in the Haynesville is way down due to the recent low natural gas prices.

• The number of rigs in the Marcellus is down but not as much as the Marcellus can still be economic at lower prices.

• With the Marcellus Shale still in its infancy, it has a lot of room to grow. It is now not a matter of if but when it will become the most productive shale play in the country.

New Wealth for the Region

With the new wealth that the Northeast region is seeing in association with the Marcellus Shale many people are looking for ways to profit other than just the energy companies. The value of mineral rights for Pennsylvania and West Virginia has increased substantially and many companies are now willing to buy those rights as well as royalties. This has proven to be a great way for many to cash in on there investments and benefit from the shale that lies beneath them.

Overview

• This is a very exciting time for the Marcellus Shale as it is on the brink of being recognized as the nation’s most productive shale gas field. With natural gas prices only expected to increase over the next few years, production in this region will only increase and will so for many years to come.