The Sun Belt and the Rust Belt are about as disparate in their geography as they are in their evocative nicknames. However, southeastern Ohio is starting to look a bit like South Texas at least as far as gas production goes.
In a recent report, the Energy Information Agency (EIA) found that the first 20 months of production in the Utica essentially mirrored the first 20 months of gas production in the Eagle Ford.
This sounds good, but is it great?
“This level of production is slightly higher than the production from the Haynesville formation in Louisiana, at its 20-month mark of activity, but is close to two-thirds lower than production levels in the Marcellus, which was producing more than 3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in its 20th month of activity,” according to the EIA. The Marcellus is currently the most productive shale play in the country. In June, it logged around 14 Bcf/d, according to the EIA.
Using another metric, that of production per rig, the Utica’s growth in the first 20 months was much steeper than growth in other locations.
This is partly because even though producers are currently in an exploration phase in the play, many are moving in with experience and knowledge gained from working in other plays.
“Additionally, the southern dry gas window of the Utica has proven extremely productive for natural gas, with some wells achieving 30-plus million cubic feet per day initial production rates,” according to the EIA.
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