The Marcellus shale is a prolific resource play in the Appalachian basin with production from both dry and wet gas fluid windows.  Since the beginning of horizontal development in the mid-2000s, the Marcellus shale has grown from 0.1 to 27 Bcfpd and is currently the largest natural gas play in the United States. The Marcellus shale accounts for 33% of total U.S. shale gas production, more than the next two largest shale gas plays combined.  In addition to the underlying subsurface advantages, the Marcellus shale benefits from an expansive gathering and transport infrastructure which provides access to strong markets across the U.S.   

The Utica shale spans various fluid windows from heavy oil in the western portion of the play to dry gas in the deeper and higher-pressure eastern portion of the play. The first horizontal well was drilled in 2010 and placed into production in 2011. Since then, the play has steadily grown and currently contributes approximately 8 Bcfpd of production to the Appalachian basin. Optimization tactics from the Marcellus were quickly applied to the Utica which rapidly reduced the learning curve to modernize development strategies. Also, similarities in well designs and produced fluids have allowed for newer technologies to be applied to intra-bench and inter-bench development in both plays.