Here’s this week’s top shale gas stories:

( 1 ) Chesapeake Satisfied with the Utica Shale

Chesapeake Energy Corp. is satisfied with how Ohio’s Utica shale is developing, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Chesapeake remains the most active driller in the Utica shale, drilling more than 321 wells in the shale play since productions began. Of those wells, 106 are producing and 93 are awaiting pipeline construction.

The company’s net production rose 48 percent from the first quarter to the second quarter.

» Via: Akron Beacon Journal › Chesapeake Energy satisfied with Ohio’s Utica shale

( 2 ) Utica Processing Plant Online

Kensington, Ohio, is the new home of a natural gas liquids processing plant. The plant, being the first phase of the Utica East Ohio Midstream LLC project, is a joint venture by Access Midstream, M3 and EV Energy Partners.

The facility is the first fully integrated gathering, processing and fractionantion complex to open in eastern Ohio.

» Via: Shale Gas Reporter› Utica Processing Plant Online

( 3 ) Lordstown Well Impresses

According to the Youngstown Vindicator, Halcon Resources Corp. impressed energy analysts Thursday when it reported test results at its Kibler 1H well in Lordstown, Ohio.

The results were some of the best results seen in the northern portion of the Utica.

Read it:

“It’s a pretty strong well. The difference is, geographically, we haven’t seen strong results like that that far north,” said Will Green, an energy analyst with investment bank Stephens.

The well tested at a rate of 2,233 barrels of oil equivalent, with liquids accounting for 75 percent of the total.

» Via: The Youngstown Vindicator › Halcon’s Lordstown well impresses analysts

( 4 ) Will Exporting Natural Gas Liquids Increase Prices?

According to Burton Speakman of the Youngstown Vindicator, exporting natural gas liquids could result in consumers paying nearly double for the resource, or it could mean little — if anything.

The U.S. Department of energy and the natural gas industry are confident that exporting the product will not increase prices, but Speakman talked with Deborah Rogers, founder of the Energy Policy Forum, and she seems to think the concept is “rubbish.”

Columbiana County commissioner thinks consumers paying more because of exports is “silly.”

The debate will remain up in the air until the U.S. builds the infrastructure to begin exporting NGLs.

» Via: The Youngstown Vindicator › Increased prices a concern with liquefied natural gas exports

( 5 ) Ford Going All ‘Natural’

With tightening fuel standards and competition from other can manufacturers, Ford Motor Company is planning on taking advantage of the natural gas boom with a compressed natural gas Ford F-150, according to NPR.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is cheaper than petroleum and is better for the environment, but the  CNG option won’t be cheap. It’ll cost upwards of $7,000 to install the system in a vehicle.

The cheaper fuel costs may be enticing for companies who manage fleets of vehicles, but there’s still the issue of refueling.

It is a big step for a car company to take, but hopefully it’s not too ahead of its time.

 » Via: NPR.Org › Ford Taking America’s Best-Selling Truck All ‘Natural’