Preview NGI’s Awesome 2018 Shale Play/Pipeline Map

Just in time for Christmas (or Chanukah, or Kwanzaa)…NGI has just released our favorite map, the 2018 Map of Shale/Resource Plays & North American Natural Gas Pipelines. When MDN editor Jim Willis began working in the natural gas market full-time in 2012, he learned from some of the best in the business–the incredibly talented people at Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI). One the key lessons Jim learned early on in working with NGI is that ours is a market driven by price. And not just one price! Yes, the Henry Hub in South Louisiana is the most quoted price point in the world when it comes to natgas. Indeed, it forms the basis price against which all other trading points are measured. But Jim learned early on there isn’t just one price for natural gas, there are many (hundreds!) of prices for natural gas, because natural gas is traded at hundreds of different locations along pipelines, all around the country. When Jim was being taught about the markets and prices and why and where drillers decide to drill, driven by price, one of the key resources used to teach Jim was the NGI map. It was a revelation that made a lasting impression when Jim’s tutors walked him over to the NGI map hanging on the wall and pointed out all of the different shale plays, pipelines, and trading points along those pipelines. Suddenly, the complex world of natgas with its many moving parts snapped into place. It was now understandable. NGI’s wall map is the tool that did that for Jim. Perhaps it can do the same for you. NGI typically issues the map with updates every year or two. The 2018 edition has just been released, with important updates. If you work in, or have an interest in, the natural gas market, give yourself the one gift that will keep on giving for years–an NGI map…

The NGI 2018 map is both (1) a massive 52-inch by 36-inch wall map, and (2) a PDF version of the same map, optimized for tablets, smart phones and presentations. Here’s a quick rundown on the features found in the 2018 map:

  • 155 Market Points (locations where gas is bought & sold)
  • 45 U.S. Border Import/Export Points (see where gas flows both ways across the border near the Marcellus/Utica)
  • 69 LNG Import/Expot Terminals (all the locations, both operational and planned, to import and export LNG)
  • 154 Operational Pipelines (every single major gas pipeline now in operation in North America)
  • 41 Proposed Pipelines (each proposed pipeline is charted out on the map!)
  • 8 Insets (mini-maps surrounding the larger map, calling out special features, like the various shale plays and how they overlap in the Marcellus/Utica region)

Want to see where the mighty Rover Pipeline runs? Walk over to the map (or pull it up on your screen) and check it out. What about the proposed Nexus Pipeline? See where that pipeline runs, comparing it with the path of Rover. They’re both right there on the map.

Find out more here

We’ve taken a few screen shots of the map to give you an idea of what’s on it–the abundance of information it contains, like having a natural gas library hanging on your wall!

An overview of the entire map:

Click image for larger version

Let’s zoom in to look at the Marcellus/Utica region and the northeast:

Here’s one of the “insets”–a mini-map around the outside edge, that shows how the shale plays in the Marcellus/Utica region are stacked:

A primary feature of the map is the pipelines. Which pipelines are listed on the map? There are 154 operational pipelines on this map, and incredible feat of design. Here’s the list of pipelines you’ll find on the map:

Click image for larger version

Not only are the operational pipelines on the map, so too are the 41 proposed pipeline projects:

You’ll see a lot of red circles with numbers in them along the 154 operational pipelines. Those red circles indicate points where natural gas is bought and/or sold–that is, “market points.” Here’s a portion of the list of market points you’ll find on the map:

Click image for larger version

We can go on and on about this map. There are many features we haven’t told you about, which you can learn about on this page.

NGI has not only released the 2018 Map of Shale/Resource Plays & North American Natural Gas Pipelines, but also 2018 Map of Mexico’s Emerging Natural Gas Infrastructure. Mexico is fast becoming an critical market for American natural gas. Learn about Mexico’s developing market with NGI’s awesome map.

We’ll net it out for you. Each NGI wall map (North America & Mexico) is a physical wall map PLUS an accompanying PDF version of the map. The North American wall map + PDF will cost you $425. Or just the PDF version for $375. Well worth the money.

If you want just the Mexico wall map + PDF, that will cost you $159 (or $129 for the PDF only).

The best deal of all: Get them both–North America & Mexico, wall maps + PDFs–for $499, or just the PDF versions of both for $449.

That’s a lot of detail to throw at you. Our recommendation: If you work in the industry, you need both maps. Get the $499 deal–it is well worth it.

More Info & To Order