Musings: Marcellus Shale....Good News Critique

In the last issue of the Musings, we wrote about good news and bad news for the development of the Marcellus gas shale deposit extending across New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio. This deposit with its multiple shales is considered to be potentially the largest gas deposit in the United States. It’s economics are challenging as the area is hilly, the road access is less than ideal, the land holdings are fractured and the public is not necessarily enamored with oil and gas drilling activities, especially hydraulic fracturing, which is key to the successful development of gas shale deposits. Low natural gas prices are potentially the biggest hurdle for Marcellus gas profitability.

Our article discussed the recently released 12 month natural gas production data for wells in the Pennsylvania portion of the Marcellus through June. The data showed average cumulative production for Marcellus horizontal wells in the 5 county core area of the North Central and Northeast part of Pennsylvania. The new data shows solid production results, and in fact, the average well’s production slightly exceeded the expected production suggested by Chesapeake Energy (CHK-NYSE) in a 2008 investor presentation. That chart was presented to show the company’s anticipated well economics for its foray into the region. Pennsylvania has a long history of oil and gas having been the cradle of the U.S. oil business with.....Read the entire article.

Hottest Investment Plays in North America: Oil and Gas Bulletin

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