Smack dab in the middle of the country to the Texas coast, unconventional producers have reported strengthening oil and natural gas output between April and June, with strong contributions from the Permian Basin along with the Fayetteville and Woodford and liquids growth in the Barnett shales.

It’s no secret that operators are swarming into the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. Now there’s lots of concrete proof that it’s getting better with each quarter. Here’s some of the developments that surfaced from second quarter reports over the past week.

Permian Basin production propelled Devon Energy Corp. in 2Q2013 to record its highest average daily run rate in its history, with North American assets providing 697,600 boe/d, up 2.8% year/over/year.

Once a gas-focused producer, the move to more liquids plays showed in the latest quarter, with natural gas output down 5% to 222 Bcf, while oil output jumped more than 14% to 15.4 million bbl, and natural gas liquids (NGL) climbed 19%-plus to 11.1 million bbl. CEO John Richels told analysts last week the company remains on track to deliver a 40% increase in oil-heavy output versus 2012.

The Permian accounts for 60% of Devon’s oil output today, and it was the star in the latest quarter, with oil production 32% higher year/year, averaging 76,300 boe/d. Devon had 30 operated rigs and 94 gross wells drilled in the basin at the end of June. The biggest driver was the Permian’s Delaware Basin, specifically the Bone Spring formation, and in the Midland Basin, where the Wolfcamp formation is the focus.

Twenty-nine wells in the Bone Spring, and 19 wells in the Wolfcamp, began producing between April and June, with initial production (IP) over 30 days averaging 675 boe/d in the Bone Spring, and as much as1,000 boe/d in the Wolfcamp. In the nearby Granite Wash, there was a 33% increase from a year ago in output, with IP rates from nine wells over a month’s time averaging 1,600 boe/d, including 900 b/d of oil and NGLs. Net earnings were $683 million ($1.68/share) in 2Q2013, compared with year-ago profits of $477 million ($1.18).

Some old timers continue to make news as well, particularly in the Fayetteville, Woodford and granddaddy Barnett shales.

Legacy Fayetteville player Southwestern Energy Corp. produced more than 2 Bcf/d gross of natural gas from the Fayetteville Shale during 2Q2013, with total output up slightly year/year at 121.2 Bcf from 121 Bcf. Total production, including that from the Marcellus Shale, rose 17% to 137.4 Bcfe.

In the Mississippian-Woodford formation in the Arkoma Basin, Devon began production on 36 operated wells in 2Q2013, with 10 Woodford wells providing initial production (IP) rates over 24 hours of 840 boe/d on average. Production in the play was 7,000 boe/d at the end of June, a 100% increase from January through March. Devon COO Dave Hager said the company has identified 400,000 net acres in the Mississippian-Woodford trend with oil shale potential.

Devon’s output in the Cana-Woodford Shale averaged 322 Mcfe/d, and it also brought in 1.4 Bcfe/d in the legacy Barnett Shale. NGL production in the Barnett rose 34% from a year ago to 56,000 b/d. In addition, Devon’s Powder River Basin had seven operated wells with IP rates over 30 days averaging 675 boe/d.