The Houston Chronicle is running a series on the growth of natural gas production from shale formations. The first report - on the Haynesville Shale - can be found here. A sample:
For years, companies have used hydraulic fracturing — injecting water into underground formations to break apart rocks and release more oil and gas. The Woodlands-based Mitchell Energy perfected the techniques in the Barnett shale formations in North Texas. But it wasn't until Devon Energy acquired Mitchell in 2002 that engineers added horizontal drilling — turning the drill bit at a 90-degree angle to tap into a larger section of the strata.