Marcellus Shale Development

PGE’s first horizontal Marcellus Shale well in Potter County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania General Energy’s 30 years of oil and gas development experience in the Appalachian Basin is being harnessed with the company’s first horizontal Marcellus Shale gas well in Potter County, which PGE drilled in July 2008.  PGE has a number of vertical Marcellus wells, and is putting the knowledge gained in drilling those wells to work in the completion of horizontal wells.

PGE holds leases for more than 272,000 acres in Elk, Forest, McKean and Potter counties, and has plans to file necessary permits to drill more horizontal Marcellus Shale wells throughout the region.

PGE is proud of this accomplishment and excited about the contributions gas from the Marcellus Shale will make to Pennsylvania’s energy portfolio and the economic boom it will provide to many individuals, families, businesses and communities where these gas reserves can be found.

As a company founded in Pennsylvania and focused on treating its landowners as partners in the development of new oil and gas wells, PGE strives to be a leader in all aspects of its operations.   This includes a commitment to fairness and a personal approach to property owners that is unmatched in the Appalachian Basin. 

If you are interested in talking with PGE about leasing your property for oil and gas development, please send us an email at land@penngeneralenergy.com.

The Marcellus Shale formation is found a mile or more below the ground surface. PGE drills vertically (as shown on left in this illustration) until the shale is reached, then carefully turns the drill (as depicted on the right) horizontally to extract a greater amount of natural gas. The shale is opened along the horizontal shaft through a hydrofracturing process, opening the tight shale layer and allowing the gas to enter the well.