The Utica shale formation spans an area from Ohio to Pennsylvania, into New York, across the Canadian border, and into two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario).

MarkWest Utica EMG LLC, a joint venture between MarkWest Energy Partners LP and The Energy and Minerals Group, has agreed with PDC Energy Inc. to provide gathering, processing, fractionation, and marketing services in the Utica Shale.

Energy infrastructure company Williams and midstream master limited partnership Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP  have executed a letter of intent to form a joint venture that would develop a pipeline project to transport natural gas liquids from the  Marcellus and Utica shale plays to the expanding petrochemical and export complex on the US Gulf Coast, as well as the developing petrochemical market in the Northeast US.

Members of the oil and gas community generally recognize the Marcellus shale as the largest and most economic natural gas shale play in the continental United States.

On January 30, 2013, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission "patently and unambiguously lacks" the statutory jurisdiction to hear an appeal from the issuance of a drilling permit by the Chief of the Ohio Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management. 

Based on increased Utica expectations, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. is raising its price target on the company.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. reported Jan. 25 that, after spending four days in the Utica shale play, its confidence in much of the play has increased, based on continued high initial production rates, limited expected depletion, improved spacing, and declining wells costs.

Hess Corp. has announced a 2013 exploration and production budget of $6.7 billion, of which 40% will be dedicated to unconventional oil and gas plays.

Houville is the center of an emerging Marcellus/Utica based NGL hub soon to take its place among the largest in North America.  

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Gulfport Energy Corp. reported test results on its Shugert 1-12H well in the Utica Shale and announced first sales through the MarkWest Energy Partners LP Harrison County gas processing complex.

Denver, CO-based Antero Resources has entered into an agreement to sell all of its natural gas and pipeline assets in the Piceance Basin to a private company for $325 million in cash plus the assumption of all of Antero’s Rocky Mountain firm transportation obligations.

Analysts say that the Utica Shale, which is nearly equal to the size of the Eagle Ford play in Texas, could become the third-largest shale play in the United States, producing as much as 250,000 to 500,000 barrels of oil a day.

Analysts say that the Utica Shale, which is nearly equal to the size of the Eagle Ford play in Texas could become the third-largest shale play in the United States, producing as much as 250,000 to 500,000 barrels of oil a day.