Lower gas prices, higher oil prices and low midstream infrastructure capacity have affected drilling the once-hot Marcellus play.

According to an August Barclay’s Capital report, there are about 75 working rigs in the Marcellus/Utica region, down from the 107 rigs that were working in 2012. The report states that many of these rigs are directed at holding acreage and will likely to be moved to other plays once these leases are maintained. In addition, many area operators are using pad drilling, which reduces rig count.

Because horizontal drilling has become such a hot-button issue in Pennsylvania, operators moved operations to West Virginia where there have been a number of successful completions.

1. Trans Energy Inc. - 05/03/13

Trans Energy Inc. has completed two Marcellus shale wells in Marshall County, W.Va. The initial 30-day production rates reported by the company indicate that #1H Doman and #2H Helen L. Doman respectively averaged 6.4 million cu. ft. and 5.6 million cu. ft. per day. The producers were drilled from a drilling pad. The #1H Doman was drilled to 11,569 ft. with a lateral length of 3,420 ft. and bottomed one-half mile to the northeast. The #2H Helen L. Doman reached 11,828 ft. and had a lateral length of 3,437 ft. and bottomed three-quarters of a mile to the northwest. Trans Energy’s headquarters are in St. Mary’s, W.Va.

2. Stone Energy Corp. - 03/01/12

According to IHS Inc., Stone Energy Corp. of Lafayette, La., has flow-tested 11 Marcellus shale wells in its Mary Field properties in Wetzel County, W. Va., at rates ranging from 3- to 5 million cu. ft. of gas per day. In a company operations update, Stone reported initial condensate production rates range from 70 bbl. to more than 100 bbl. per million cu. ft. of gas produced. Initial gas-liquids volumes from the wet-gas stream were estimated at more than 40 bbl. per million cu. ft. of gas produced. Another 13 wells in Mary Field have been drilled but not completed, according to Stone. They are expected to be fractured and brought online during 2012.

3. Triana Energy Inc. - 12/21/11

Several Marcellus horizontal tests are planned in Booths Creek Dist. Grafton 7.5 Quad, Taylor County, W.Va., by Triana Energy Inc. The #2H Coulson will be drilled to 11,720 ft., 7,700 ft. true vertical, in an unnamed field. At Triana’s Musgrove lease, the company permitted #1H Musgrove, #3H Musgrove and #5H Musgrove; the three horizontal tests have proposed true vertical depths of 7,560 ft. each. Part of Triana’s Marcellus shale drilling program is conducted in partnership with Marathon Oil Corp. The companies plan to jointly develop 82,000 acres of Marcellus drilling land in several West Virginia counties and in Fayette County, Pa. Future development will involve drilling 132 horizontal wells on 43 pads. Full development of the property could involve up to 350 wells, according to Charleston, W.V.-based Triana.

4. Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. - 12/16/11

Houston-based Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. reported three Marcellus completions in Grant Dist., Pine Grove 7.5 Quad, in Wetzel County, W.Va. The #1102 WVDNR 1102 flowed 10 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day. It is producing on a capacity-constrained basis due to infrastructure limitations. Drilled to 12,517 ft. with a lateral length of 4,950 ft., the well was fracture-treated and completed in 16 stages. The #1103 WVDNR was drilled to 12,335 ft. with a 4,875-ft. lateral. It was tested flowing 10.5 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day after 16-stage completion and is also producing at infrastructure-constrained rates. The #1104 WVDNR flowed 10.4 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent daily. It was drilled to 11,864 ft. with a lateral length of 4,100 ft. and was completed after a 16-stage fracture treatment.

5. Rex Energy Corp. - 11/14/11

Rex Energy Corp. has completed several Butler County, Pa., wells. On its three-well Behm pad, the five-day flow rate for each well averaged 6.6 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day. The 30-day flow rate for each well was 5.3 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day. Each well had an average lateral length of 4,200 ft. per well. Also, Rex has completed fracture stimulation and completion operations on its Upper Devonian shale test, #11-HB Gilliland. The #11-HB Gilliland had a 2,700-ft. lateral length with a five-day flow rate of 3.1 million cu. ft. of gas per day. According to the State College, Pa.-based company, gas produced from the Gilliland well is similar in composition to the gas produced by Marcellus shale wells in the area. Rex plans to drill and complete additional Upper Devonian/Burkett shale wells during its 2012 drilling program.

6. Chesapeake Energy Corp. - 10/27/11

A horizontal test in northern Sullivan County, Pa., has been staked by Chesapeake Appalachia LLC. Plans call to drill #2H MPC Sul to 14,274 ft. (7,575 ft. true vertical). Nearby are two Marcellus shale tests permitted by Chief Oil & Gas that were permitted in 2010. The #1H Dacheux Unit is permitted to 12,356 ft. (8,500 ft. true vertical) and #1H Yonkin Unit is permitted to 12,183 ft. (8,400 ft. true vertical). Chesapeake holds the drilling rights to a large amount drilling land in this part of Sullivan County. Nearly three miles northwest of Chesapeake’s new location is the company’s Coveytown lease where #5H Coveytown was tested in October flowing gas from an unreported set of perforations in the Marcellus. The #5H Coveytown was drilled to 12,189 ft., 7,005 ft. true vertical depth. Two more horizontal tests are planned from the same Coveytown drilling pad. Within six miles south of Chesapeake’s latest proposed test are the Pines and Field leases, the site of numerous horizontal tests drilled and permitted by the operator.

7. Gastar Exploration Ltd. - 09/14/11

Gastar Exploration Ltd. completed two horizontal Marcellus wells in Marshall County, W. Va. The #1H Wengerd and #7H Wengerd were both horizontally drilled from a common drilling pad in an area surrounded primarily by shallow vertical gas wells. The #1H Wengerd was drilled to 10,673 ft. with a lateral length of 4,700 ft. The #7H Wengerd was drilled to 12,095 ft., with a lateral length of 5,700 ft. According to the Houston-based company, both wells have been tested at a combined stabilized rate of approximately 15.5 million cu. ft. per day of 1,285 Btu gas and 1,100 bbl. of condensate per day. Gastar also reported that each well had approximately 1,200 psi of flowing casing pressure and was producing more than 150 bbl. of fracture fluid water per hour. Gastar owns a 44.5% working interest and 37.5% net revenue interest in these wells. The company has permitted numerous other horizontal tests from the Wengerd lease drilling pad.