Unconventional natural gas production in Pennsylvania reached 390 Bcf in January, according to the first set of monthly data released by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Production from the Marcellus Shale and other unconventional targets in the state averaged 12.6 Bcf/d, up from an average 11.5 Bcf/d over the last six-month reporting period. State legislators passed a bill last year that requires operators to submit production data up to 45 days after the end of the month rather than twice a year (see Shale Daily, Oct. 21, 2014).

The new requirement, which took effect on Tuesday, also requires the status of each well to be reported. Similar to the former reporting requirements, operators submit raw data, which is then published by the DEP.

Range Resources Corp. continued to lead in production of natural gas liquids (NGL) as it did last year with 342,000 bbl out of the 416,000 bbl produced statewide in January. DEP data shows that nearly all NGLs were produced in the southwest part of the state.

Chesapeake Energy Corp., Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., Range, Southwestern Energy Co. and EQT Corp. were the state’s leading gas producers in January as they were throughout 2014. Cabot, however, produced more than Chesapeake in January.

Susquehanna County and Bradford County in the northeast part of the state, were again the top producing counties, followed by Lycoming County, also in the northeast, and Washington and Greene counties in the southwest.

Last year unconventional drillers produced more than 4 Tcf, shattering the previous record of 3.3 Tcf set in 2013 (see Shale Daily, Feb. 17; Feb. 20, 2014).