Marcellus Shale Production Nearing 4 Bcf/d

The Department of Energy reports natural gas production in the Northeast has grown rapidly since early 2009 as a result of increased drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale.

Natural gas production in West Virginia and Pennsylvania now averages almost 4 Bcf/d, more than five times as much as the average from 2004-2008. It accounts for about 6% of total U.S. natural gas production.

* Production in northeastern Pennsylvania passed 2 Bcf/d, up from just 0.4 Bcf/d at the start of 2010.
* In southwestern Pennsylvania, production is over 0.8 Bcf/d, more than three times the level at the beginning of 2010.
* In West Virginia, production has grown over 40% since January 2010 and surpassed 1 Bcf/d.