Noble Energy has closed the previously announced agreements which create a joint venture partnership with CONSOL for the development of Marcellus Shale properties in southwest Pennsylvania and northwest West Virginia.

At a time of sustained low natural gas prices, PDC Energy has agreement to acquire membership interests of Seneca-Upshur LLC, giving the company access to nearly 90,000 net acres targeting the Marcellus Shale and 10,000 net acres prospective to the Huron Shale.

Denver, Co.-based Antero Resources has acquired a 7% overriding royalty interest from CONSOL Energy on 115,647 net acres located in nine counties in southwestern Pennsylvania and north central West Virginia for $193 million.

Gastar Exploration’s first two horizontal Marcellus wells, the Wengerd 1H and 7H, produced at a combined gross initial 30-day rate of 7.1 MMcfd of 1285 btu/Mcf natural gas and 176 bbls of condensate per day

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has been mentioned prominently as a contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, has ordered a one-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in that state, making New Jersey the first state in the US to ban hydraulic fracturing, a widely used completion method used in shale formations.

On Aug. 23, the US Geological Survey released an updated report that indicates a 4,100% increase in technically recoverable natural gas and a 33,900% increase in technically recoverable natural gas liquids from the Marcellus shale formation in comparison with previous USGS assessments from 2002.

The Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids according to a new assessment by the U S Geological Survey.

The Chicago-based Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has opened an office in Pittsburgh to show the organization’s commitment to the natural gas industry in the Marcellus Shale fairway and the surrounding region.

Driven by Marcellus Shale activity, Rex Energy put up high production growth for the second quarter 2011 and plans to continue its growth with a large backlog in place, an acquisition targeting the natural gas-bearing Utica Shale, and an increased borrowing base.

Gov. Martin O’Malley has named Harry Weiss, a Ballard Spahr partner, as one of 13 members of the Governor’s advisory panel that will study natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale in Western Maryland.

Food and fuel retailer Giant Eagle Inc. unveiled its first two compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in the Pittsburgh area at its Beechnut Drive retail support and distribution center.

One year after offering up Marcellus Shale assets, SM Energy has agreed to sell assets in McKean and Potter Counties, Pennsylvania to a subsidiary of Endeavour International for $80 million—considerably lower than the original $4,000/acre expectation Jefferies & Co. Inc. put out last year.

Results from its first three operated wells in the Marcellus Shale fell short of expectations, reported Penn Virginia Corp.