Pennsylvania gas boom under way

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HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Natural gas production from the Marcellus shale play in Pennsylvania is up more than 80 percent from 2011, the state government said.

A Platts review of information from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said natural gas production in the Marcellus shale play for the first six months of 2012 increased 82 percent compared with the same time last year.

Production reached 4.36 billion cubic feet per day for the first half of 2012, while operators reported 2.5 billion cubic feet per day during the same time last year.

Chesapeake Energy accounted for roughly one-quarter of the unconventional natural gas production in the state during the first six months.

The U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reports that Texas led the country in natural gas gains because of developments in the Barnett and Haynesville-Bossier shale formation. Louisiana was close behind with its Haynesville play while Pennsylvania saw gains from the Marcellus shale formation.

U.S. proven natural gas reserves totaled 317.6 trillion cubic feet in 2010.

Platts reported that not all companies delivered information to the DEP.