This is particularly true in the Gulf of Mexico and Canada which supply the majority of North America's natural gas. In Oklahoma, in-fill drilling of gas wells is beginning earlier in the life of a reservoir, which leads to a similar result. It also is in deep, difficult reservoirs such as the Anadarko Basin. We are beginning to, but there are reasons it may not be as quickly as needed. First, many independent producers are still paying off debt from trying to operate gas wells last year at prices below break even.
Some producers are gun shy having already been burned.
Many bigger companies have increased drilling budgets, but so far it has been a tentative move. A warm winter will help avoid shortages.