Found deep within the Appalachian basin, stretching from New York, to Virginia and Ohio, the Marcellus Shale is being tapped as a new energy economy in Pennsylvania.
The area, one of several shale plays in the United States, has seen a flurry of activity in the past two years as energy companies have rushed to purchase property rights and drill for natural gas in the region considered to be the second largest natural gas field in the world. Fewer than 1,100 wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania so far , 700 in 2009 alone, with the possibility of 2,500 to 3,000 new wells being drilled each year.
Experts explain that it’s not just energy companies that stand to gain from the Marcellus Shale formation — one of the most promising contributors for domestic natural gas in the United States — but the many companies that supply parts, services and support for their operations in the May 2010 Business Magazine.
