This week in one of their daily Today In Energy columns, the Energy Information Administration highlighted the tremendous growth of natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin:
Shale gas production in the Appalachia region has increased rapidly since 2012, driving an overall increase in U.S. natural gas production. According to EIA’s Drilling Productivity Report, natural gas production in the Appalachia region—namely the Marcellus and Utica shale plays—has increased by more than 14 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) since 2012. Overall Appalachian natural gas production grew from 7.8 Bcf/d in 2012 to 22.1 Bcf/d in 2016 and was 23.8 Bcf/d in 2017, based on EIA data through October 2017.
This 200% increase in Appalachian natural gas production since 2012 has had significant implications in the U.S. market. It has driven down costs for consumers, is fueling a renaissance in the chemical manufacturing industry, and has helped push coal-fired power plants out of business.