More than 1,700 gas wells awaiting connections

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Joe Wojcik

David Spigelmyer, Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Sam Kusic

Staff Reporter- Pittsburgh Business Times

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Natural gas pipeline infrastructure has lagged development of the shale gas fields, so much so that there are about 1,750 drilled wells awaiting connections, said David Spigelmyer, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

And some of the wells have the potential to be top-producing wells, said Spigelmyer, speaking during the first day of the Gas Technology Institute's The Shale Exchange workshop in Pittsburgh.

The three-day workshop is bringing together energy professionals and potential business partners to share ideas.

Workshop attendees also heard from Chuck Whisman, vice president and United States oil and gas operations for consulting and design firm CH2M Hill, who spoke of capacity constraints of another sort -- on rail.

He said crude oil shipments out of North Dakota's Bakken formation are running up demand for tanker cars. Between the first and second quarter this year, orders for new tankers cars doubled, rising to 10,628.

He also said oil shipments have generated much railroad traffic.

"You can't get cheese out of Wisconsin," he said.

Sam Kusic covers energy for the Pittsburgh Business Times.