Marcellus, Utica Poised For Rebound

While shale oil producers might have complained about low oil prices in 2015, operators in the Marcellus and Utica shales had been complaining about low natural gas prices for much longer. But they didn’t sit on the sidelines and nurse their wounds—they got busy figuring out how to do more with less.

The Haynesville and Bossier plays may have recently eclipsed the Utica and Marcellus, at least according to the U.S. Geological Survey estimates of recoverable gas, but they still contain enormous quantities of gas, and Appalachian companies are turning profits even when gas prices remain stubbornly low. Recent estimates indicate these prices could soon near the $3.50/Mcf mark.