The image of two ships passing in the night is a fair analogy for changes in 2012 domestic oil and gas activity.

  Four years ago, the mighty Haynesville debuted with high-IP (initial production) dry-gas wells and unprecedented EURs (estimated ultimate recoveries). Eventually more than 180 rigs were targeting Haynesville objectives in Louisiana, East Texas and the Shelby Trough extension.

  So it was a complete surprise this August to discover that drilling targeting the liquids-rich Utica shale in eastern Ohio employed the same number of horizontal rigs as the core Louisiana ...