NATURAL GAS OUTPUT RISING IN FIVE OF SIX BIGGEST US SHALE PLAYS IN APRIL: EIA

Houston (Platts)--11Mar2014/1159 am EDT/1559 GMT

Natural gas production is expected to increase in five of six significant US shale and unconventional plays in April compared with March levels, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The EIA's monthly drilling productivity report, released late Monday, projects that gas output in the Bakken Shale will increase by 21,000 Mcf/d to 1.156 Bcf/d in April compared with projected March production of 1.135 Bcf/d. April production in the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas is expected to increase by 120,000 Mcf/d month on month to 6.566 Bcf/d from 6.446 Bcf/d, the report said.

In the Appalachian Marcellus Shale play, gas production is expected to increase by 288,000 Mcf/d in April from projected March output of 14.470 Bcf/d. Output in the Niobrara Shale is expected to increase by a modest 12 Mcf/d to 4.572 Bcf/d from 4.560 Bcf/d in March, the EIA said.

Production in the Permian Basin is expected to increase by 39,000 Mcf/d to 5.369 Bcf/d in April from projected March output of 5.330 Bcf/d.

Month-over-month gas output is projected to fall in one of the basins studied. In the Haynesville Shale play, gas production is expected to fall by 76 Mcf/d to 6.390 Bcf/d in April from 6.466 Bcf/d in March.

The EIA report also shows that average per-rig gas production will increase in five of the six basins studied. The report projects that per-rig gas output in the Bakken Shale will increase by 9 Mcf/d to 497 Mcf/d in April from 488 Mcf/d in March.

Per-rig production in the Eagle Ford Shale is expected to increase 8 Mcf/d to 1,280 Mcf/d in April from March gas output of 1,272 Mcf/d.

In the Haynesville Shale, production from an average rig is expected to increase by 25 Mcf/d in April to 5,167 Mcf/d from projected per-rig March production of 5,142 Mcf/d.

Marcellus Shale per-rig output is expected to increase by 74 Mcf/d to 6,402 Mcf/d, while per-rig production in the Permian Basin is expected to increase by 5 Mcf/d to 274 Mcf/d from 269 Mcf/d.

Per-rig gas production in the Niobrara Shale is expected to decline by 10 Mcf/d to 1,713 Mcf/d in April, from 1,723 Mcf/d in March.

--Jim Magill, jim.magill@platts.com --Edited by Keiron Greenhalgh, keiron.greenhalgh@platts.com