Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Production Hits All-Time High

Federal energy experts said Marcellus Shale natural gas production has hit an all-time high.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said Tuesday that production from Pennsylvania and West Virginia totaled about 15 billion cubic feet per day in July. That's more than seven times the 2010 production.

The Marcellus Shale generally lies about a mile or more underground, and is the most productive natural gas field in the U.S. At current rates the total yearly production is the energy equivalent of about 800 million barrels of oil.

The Energy Information Administration said it expects that Marcellus production will continue to grow.