All Signs Point to an Increase in M-U Production Coming in 2026
Regional and national indicators are driving optimism in the Marcellus/Utica Basin, which currently supplies 31% of U.S. natural gas. Despite recent constraints from low prices and limited pipeline capacity, drillers like Infinity Natural Resources and Expand Energy now predict significant output growth coming in the new year. This resurgence is fueled by surging in-basin demand from AI data centers, major power plant conversions in Pennsylvania, and improved takeaway prospects, such as Boardwalk’s proposed Borealis pipeline to the Gulf Coast (see Texas Gas Project to Build ~180 Miles of Greenfield Pipe in OH Utica). By leveraging AI-driven drilling efficiencies and accelerating deep Utica development, companies are aggressively expanding to meet rising local and national energy demand. Read More “All Signs Point to an Increase in M-U Production Coming in 2026”
As MDN previously reported, TC Energy’s Virginia Reliability Project (VRP) in the Hampton Roads region (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News area) started construction in the second quarter of this year. It held a ceremony in September to commemorate the final weld (see 
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a Tentative Order by a 3-2 vote, proposing a statewide model tariff (tax) to manage the growing impact of large-load customers, such as AI data centers, on the electric grid (see 
NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG is being developed on a 984-acre site along the Brownsville Ship Channel (Brownsville, Texas), approximately 3 miles east of Port Isabel. The facility currently has five trains under construction, with space at the site to double capacity. One month ago, Rio Grande LNG announced a favorable final investment decision (FID) to move forward with the construction of Train 5 (see 
It’s time to revisit a topic we’ve covered many times before — philanthropy in the Marcellus/Utica region. Drillers and pipeline companies in the M-U region already contribute to the region through the generous lease bonuses and royalties paid to landowners. In addition to the billions that flow to landowners, M-U companies cumulatively donate millions of dollars to local communities and nonprofit organizations. Here’s the latest example of that in action: The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) says its members (and their employees) have embraced this Thanksgiving season by giving back through food drives, volunteering at local charities, and supporting community initiatives. 
Planned natural gas capacity through 2030 remains steady compared with the past decade, according to new U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data analyzed by Dr. John Bistline, a leading researcher on energy systems and climate policy. The geography is shifting, Bistline noted, and new gas-fired units are being increasingly concentrated in regions facing sharp load growth and accelerated retirements. The map below shows the locations of existing and planned gas-fired power plants. It’s no mystery and should surprise no one that most of the planned new plants are located in the northeast, an area served by the Marcellus/Utica. 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: California Gov Newsom is oblivious that electricity came about after oil; New monster gas wells are outperforming legacy Haynesville deposits; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures price settles lower; LNG shipping rates surge to two-year high as U.S. exports soar; INTERNATIONAL: Oil closes the day up as equities rally; European gas prices fall on strong imports, milder weather forecast; China’s LNG imports set to drop for 13th month.