Changes

Play activity started to slowly accelerate in 2006 within the high-pore-pressure area of the play with the drilling of 28 Marcellus wells located along a wide fairway stretching from north-central West Virginia, through most of Pennsylvania and into southern New York. Several companies completed Marcellus wells, including discoveries by Range Resources Corporation, Cabot Oil and Gas, Dominion Energy, Fortuna/Talisman, M amp M Energy, Atlas Energy, and Pennsylvania General Energy. A key vertical Marcellus discovery well was drilled in 2006 by Cabot Oil and Gas that brought the northeastern part of Pennsylvania to its modern era of shale-gas development. The discovery well, the Cabot Oil and Gas 5 Teel, was the first new oil and gas well drilled in Susquehanna County in 34 yr and was the fifth well ever drilled in that county. It reported a maximum production test rate to atmosphere of 7 mmcfpd.<ref>Cabot Oil and Gas, 2009, [http://www.slideshare.net/plsderrick/cabot-enercom-2009-oil-gas-conference Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation discussion handout]: Enercom 2009 Oil and Gas Conference.</ref> The first operationally successful horizontal test of the Marcellus Shale was drilled in 2006 by Range Resources Corporation in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Play activity started to slowly accelerate in 2006 within the high-pore-pressure area of the play with the drilling of 28 Marcellus wells located along a wide fairway stretching from north-central West Virginia, through most of Pennsylvania and into southern New York. Several companies completed Marcellus wells, including discoveries by Range Resources Corporation, Cabot Oil and Gas, Dominion Energy, Fortuna/Talisman, M amp M Energy, Atlas Energy, and Pennsylvania General Energy. A key vertical Marcellus discovery well was drilled in 2006 by Cabot Oil and Gas that brought the northeastern part of Pennsylvania to its modern era of shale-gas development. The discovery well, the Cabot Oil and Gas 5 Teel, was the first new oil and gas well drilled in Susquehanna County in 34 yr and was the fifth well ever drilled in that county. It reported a maximum production test rate to atmosphere of 7 mmcfpd.<ref>Cabot Oil and Gas, 2009, [http://www.slideshare.net/plsderrick/cabot-enercom-2009-oil-gas-conference Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation discussion handout]: Enercom 2009 Oil and Gas Conference.</ref> The first operationally successful horizontal test of the Marcellus Shale was drilled in 2006 by Range Resources Corporation in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

The drilling levels increased significantly in 2007, with 153 wells completed during that year. Atlas Energy began its successful development of the Marcellus Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2007, the first significant horizontal completion was reported in Washington County, Pennsylvania, by Range Resources Corporation, with a reported initial potential (IP) of 3.9 mmcfepd. Also in 2007, Cabot Oil and Gas drilled its confirmation well, offsetting the 2006 discovery of the 5 Teel well in Susquehanna County. Several other key step-out and exploration wells were drilled in Butler, Elk, Greene, Clarion, and Lycoming counties of Pennsylvania. Significant drilling programs were initiated by Atlas Resources, Chief Oil and Gas, EOG Resources, Eastern American Energy, Pennsylvania General Energy, Range Resources Corporation, Rex Energy, Texas Keystone, and others. During 2007, the focus was still clearly on vertical well testing, and only a limited number of horizontal wells were drilled and completed.

The drilling levels increased significantly in 2007, with 153 wells completed during that year. Atlas Energy began its successful development of the Marcellus Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2007, the first significant horizontal completion was reported in Washington County, Pennsylvania, by Range Resources Corporation, with a reported initial potential (IP) of 3.9 mmcfepd. Also in 2007, Cabot Oil and Gas drilled its confirmation well, offsetting the 2006 discovery of the 5 Teel well in Susquehanna County. Several other key step-out and exploration wells were drilled in Butler, Elk, Greene, Clarion, and Lycoming counties of Pennsylvania. Significant drilling programs were initiated by Atlas Resources, Chief Oil and Gas, EOG Resources, Eastern American Energy, Pennsylvania General Energy, Range Resources Corporation, Rex Energy, Texas Keystone, and others. During 2007, the focus was still clearly on vertical well testing, and only a limited number of [[horizontal well]]s were drilled and completed.

The year 2008 was the breakout year for the Marcellus Shale play, with more than 360 completed wells reported for that year. Several key vertical and horizontal discoveries were established. These include discoveries reported by CNX Gas and EQT in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and Epsilon Resources in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Encouraging vertical test results were reported by Atlas Energy in Fayette and Westmoreland counties of Pennsylvania after developing effective two-stage fracturing techniques for vertical wells, with average test rates after completion of 2 mmcfpd. Range Resources reported several strong horizontal wells with reported IPs ranging from 4 mmcfepd to more than 26.0 mmcfepd in Washington County, Pennsylvania.<ref>Range Resources Corporation, 2010, [http://b2icontent.irpass.cc/790%2F112383.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=1Y51NDPSZK99KT3F8VG2&Expires=1282674243&Signature=T%2FrJ6ggrDsxTUsOJXDNyXkKvHbI%3D Range Resources Company Presentation, August 2010].</ref>

The year 2008 was the breakout year for the Marcellus Shale play, with more than 360 completed wells reported for that year. Several key vertical and horizontal discoveries were established. These include discoveries reported by CNX Gas and EQT in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and Epsilon Resources in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Encouraging vertical test results were reported by Atlas Energy in Fayette and Westmoreland counties of Pennsylvania after developing effective two-stage fracturing techniques for vertical wells, with average test rates after completion of 2 mmcfpd. Range Resources reported several strong horizontal wells with reported IPs ranging from 4 mmcfepd to more than 26.0 mmcfepd in Washington County, Pennsylvania.<ref>Range Resources Corporation, 2010, [http://b2icontent.irpass.cc/790%2F112383.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=1Y51NDPSZK99KT3F8VG2&Expires=1282674243&Signature=T%2FrJ6ggrDsxTUsOJXDNyXkKvHbI%3D Range Resources Company Presentation, August 2010].</ref>