Executive Viewpoint: Back to production: Where we’re going, we don’t need pipelines

In 2017, the U.S. tipped from net importer of natural gas to net exporter for the first time in 60 yr.1 In 2018, the U.S. exported 3,832,761 ft3 of gas—more than 900,000 ft3 in excess of imports.2 Behind that transformation lie the gas-rich fields of the Appalachian basin, particularly the Marcellus, as well as rising capacity in the Permian. These valuable reserves can play a role in fueling the American economy, supporting its transition to gas from coal and aiding its rise as a major global gas exporter. Yet, so much potential goes unharnessed, purely because lack of access to a pipeline has meant there is no economic way to take the extracted gas to market. Unknown thousands of orphan w