Expanding Marcellus Activity Defies Gas Prices ///

Despite gas prices circling around $4/Mcf and intense environmental scrutiny, Marcellus shale activity continued to grow rapidly last year, with a near doubling in the number of wells drilled and high permitting rates indicating a further activity surge to come. As in other US shale plays, there has been a move toward more liquids-rich windows; liquids production in the Marcellus actually quadrupled in 2009, and producers snapped up acreage with high prospectivity for NGLs with voracity last year.