Such emerging shale-gas plays as Utah’s Manning Canyon and Illinois’ New Albany were the focus of researchers at the 2010 RPSEA conference in Denver.

The Illinois Basin’s New Albany shale has been a tough nut to crack, but start-up of a new field in Kentucky and the kick-off of a basin-wide research consortium are positive fracs.

A groundswell of interest in oil and gas production is transforming the domestic energy.

Horizontal drilling appears to be rejuvenating this play. Several firms have been accumulating acreage positions and drilling horizontal wells, and Indiana and Kentucky look to enjoy a busy year of shale drilling.

The rousing success of the Barnett Shale play has turned the industry's eye toward other similar, Paleozoic shale formations.