According to the US Energy Information Administration, Southern Pennsylvania and its neighboring counties in West Virginia have maintained a prominent growth in the production of natural gas.

The US Energy Information Administration also mentioned that while the shale gas that is more liquids-rich in the wet gas regions of the two states is now getting much more attention from operators, the addition of pipelines and gas processing plants also contribute to the production from dry gas areas in this part of the Appalachian basin so that the gas fields will get to improve their takeaway capacity.

Beginning in September, 2012, almost 1 bcfd. Equitrans of production capacity has been increased by three projects, which put one of those projects, Sunrise project into full use in July 2012, able to transport 310 MMcfd from Wetzel County, WV, to Greene County, Pa., and delivering access to five separate interconnections serving customers from Mid-Atlantic. 

Dominion Transmission started service in September 2012 from the four new compressor stations and 110 miles of new pipeline which has been launched for the Appalachian Gateway project. The project will be providing at least a capacity of 470 MMcfd of gas from producing areas in both states so that it can interconnect with the Texas Eastern Transmission pipeline.

The significantly increasing production of natural gas in West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania is due to a growing number of accesses to markets as a result of these expansions, the US Energy Information Administration added. Production in West Virginia averaged 2.34 bcfd through mid-July 2013, having a 51% increase compared with 1.55 bcfd through mid-July 2012. Production in the nearby dry regions of southern Pennsylvania was twofold during the period to 1.73 bcfd from 0.86 bcfd.

Texas Eastern has been planning to set up a 390 MMcfd pipeline in flank to its mainline from Dominion’s 200 MMcfd Natrium processing plant in West Virginia by the end of 2014, so there is very likely to further grow in West Virginia. The processing plant expansions Texas Eastern has been planning during the end of 2013 could also substantially develop the processing capacity of this state, which totaled 850 MMcfd in 2012, the US Energy Information Administration said.

(Edited by Jeasin)