Marcellus tops Haynesville as leading US gas play

A new IHS report points to a new leader for the North American market, writes Shaun Polczer

The mighty Marcellus shale has surpassed Haynesville as the largest natural gas producing region in the US, according to a new IHS report. New pipeline expansions have allowed production from Marcellus to exceed 7 billion cubic feet per day (cf/d) just seven years after the first horizontal well was drilled in 2006. "The Marcellus has been a game-changer for early entrants," said Bryan McNamara, author of the IHS report Marcellus Shale Company Play Analysis. "Companies have created significant shareholder value through low-cost, efficient growth that has been commensurate with the explosion of production coming from the Marcellus." Output from Marcellus has continued to grow in spite of low