Production of Marcellus Shale natural gas in Pennsylvania rose again in the second half of 2011, slightly
exceeding projections.
The state reported Friday that drillers produced the equivalent of 1.66 billion cubic feet of gas per day from July to December.
That's up from about 1.19 billion cubic feet per day in the previous six months.
That translates into a yearly average of about 1.42 billion cubic feet per day. That's up slightly from previous industry projections of 1.3 billion for 2011.
The data also showed that the industry is recycling more of the drilling wastewater, and sending less to municipal or industrial treatment plants. That's in response to pressure from state officials. The amount of waste injected deep underground nearly tripled.