After reaching record-high production in 2021, the Haynesville Shale seemed to have a quiet 2022, with a smattering of deal activity and attention seemingly focused more on LNG exports than production. Meanwhile, the indications are that the third-largest producing gas shale in the U.S. is growing up for a robust 2023 if commodity prices stand still.

The Haynesville Shale play, situated in northwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas, was remarked in March 2008. Petrohawk Energy Corp. and Chesapeake Energy Corp. both held lease acreages in Louisiana, making the region famous.

There was a 54% growth in Haynesville rig activity from the 46 average count in 2021 to 71 in the first half of 2022, according to J.P. Morgan's September “JPM Natural Gas Reservoir” report.

Recent gas pipeline scrapes are running ahead of anticipations, setting record highs of almost 99.3 Bcf/d in September, with MTD gas production estimated at 98.7 Bcf/d, which compares to the August average of 97.7 Bcf/d and the September 2021 average of 92.7 Bcf/d.

Top basin performers Chesapeake Energy, Southwestern Energy, Comstock Resources, Aethon Energy, and Rockcliff Energy II produced a combined total of 1.53 MMboe/d, 83 bbl/d of oil, and 9.2 Bcf/d of gas in the first half of 2022.

One of the first companies to operate in the basin, Chesapeake was the Haynesville's largest producer in the first half. The company produced 1.23 MMboe/d in the half, 365,766 boe/d came from its Haynesville operations, with 2.19 Bcf/d of the 6.98 Bcf/d total produced coming from the Haynesville as well.

Nevertheless, it produced 89,862 bbl/d of oil in the first half of the year, and none of Chesapeake's oil production came from the Haynesville. The latter half of the year was aimed at concentrating on Chesapeake's midstream capacity, committing 700 MMcf/d to a new pipeline to be constructed by momentum from the heart of the Haynesville play down to Gilles.

The company reported 334,716 boe/d in the first half of 2022 production from the Haynesville, comparable to the total 887,668 boe/d produced by the company across all its assets. In the basin, it also produced 2 Bcf/d of its total reported 5.19 Bcf/d across the combined Haynesville and Appalachian assets.

Comstock has assets spanning northern Louisiana and eastern Texas, making it the third most productive Haynesville operator with eight total rigs. The company produced a total of 314,483 boe/d, 28 bbl/d of oil, and 1.88Bcf/d of gas in the Haynesville in the first half of 2022.

As the largest private producer in the Haynesville, Aethon produced 313,492 boe/d of its total 330,601 boe/d from the basin. Moreover, 19 bbl/d of its total 402 bbl/d of oil production and 1.88Bcf/d of its total 1.98Bcf/d of natural gas production came from the Haynesville.

The second private company to emerge as a Haynesville top player, Rockcliff production totaled 205,997 boe/d in the Haynesville in the first half of the year. 36 bbl/d of its 347 bbl/d total oil production in the half came from the East Texas basin, as did 1.24 Bcf/d of its 1. 32 Bcf/d total natural gas production.