This State of Alabama .pdf document summarizes drilling results for several wells drilled into the Floyd Shale and Chattanooga Shale prior to 2008.  The Floyd Shale is located above the Chattanooga and they are separated by the Tuscumbia Limestone and the Fort Payne Chert.

Here is an article that summarizes the status of Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  Things are slow right now but far from stopped.  More in the TimesLeader.

Environmental groups in Pennsylvania are calling for stricter regulation of the natural gas drilling process.  They point specifically to the large amounts of water that must be used to drill wells and the treatment and disposal of that water after use.  More at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Instead of going to the credit market Chesapeake Energy has decided to sell up to $1.8 billion in common stock.  They need the money to drill natural gas wells on the thousands of acres of leases that they have acquired.  More at PennLive

Even though the economic downturn and tight credit have slowed the rate of leasing, drilling for the Marcellus Shale continues.  More at CNNMoney.com.

Getting rid of the brine water from oil and gas drilling is a problem.   The North Dakota health department has approved its use as a road deicer and dust control agent.   More at TwinCities.com.

An article in Scientific American looks at some of the problems related to water and drilling for natural gas. Use of hydraulic fracturing treatments without revealing the chemistry of additives placed in the water is a specific concern.

The Fort Worth Business Press has an article detailing an environmental stewardship award that was given to Devon Energy. They are using portable distillation units to recycle the water used in their hydraulic fracturing projects.

An article in the Fort Worth Business Press says that a number of companies producing natural gas from the Barnett Shale of Texas are turning in promising earnings while other parts of the economy or struggling.

An article in the Wayne Independent of Wayne County, Pennsylvania speculates on how the Chesapeake Energy / StatoilHydro deal along with falling gas prices will impact their lease and royalty payments. Near the end of the article some specifics about the deal are explained.

United States natural gas production is increasing thanks to several important unconventional natural gas plays that have moved to production in the last few years. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.

Janet Clark, chief financial officer for Marathon Oil Corporation says that many natural gas companies have been hurt by the current tight credit markets and will be prime candidates for making deals with other companies that have cash. More at Reuters.

Over the past year there has been a very large increase in the amount of natural gas that will potentially become available to United States energy consumers.  The Oil and Gas Journal has an article that explores this topic.

A PowerPoint presentation titled “Fayetteville Shale Play: Reducing Environmental Impacts” by Dr. Gregory J. Thoma of the University of Arkansas is posted at the Arkansas Conservation Alliance website.

In a transcript of the GeoMet, Inc. third quarter 2008 earnings call posted at SeekingAlpha, the company explains some of the drilling and production challenges that they have seen in some of their Garden City project natural gas wells in the Chattanooga Shale. A backflow of frac sand, water production and pump failures are some of the problems.