In fact, Range's cash margin of approximately $1 per Mcfe for the first half of the year is roughly double where we were last year.
Given the improved fundamental backdrop for NGLs with approximately 65% of our activity in the liquids-rich window this year, Range is very well positioned to continue to benefit.
In the second quarter, Range produced $177 million in cash flow with capital spending coming in at just $120 million for the quarter, Range generated solid free cash flow despite seasonally weak pricing and the second quarter being the high point of capital spending for the year.
Taking this level of efficiency and combining it with strong recoveries, a shallow base decline of under 20%, a sizable inventory and liquids optionality, Range has what we believe is an unmatched foundation for generating sustainable free cash flow for the long term.
For context, Range's 2021 activity of approximately 60 wells is just a fraction of our 2,000 Marcellus locations with EURs that are greater than two Bcfe per 1,000 foot of lateral.
As we look back on the second quarter, all-in capital came in at $120 million, with drilling and completion spending of approximately $116 million.
Capital spend for the first half of the year totaled $226 million or approximately 53% of our annual plan.
Looking forward, consistent with our activity forecast for the second half of the year, the remainder of our capital spending is expected to taper through year-end, in line with our activity forecast previously communicated and placing us at or below our all-in budget of $425 million.
Production for the quarter closed out at 2.1 Bcf equivalent per day.
Our activity resulted in 25 wells being turned to sales with 75% of the turn-in-line activity landing in the back half of the quarter, setting us up for higher sequential production for the balance of this year.
And lastly, production from this pad was comprised of approximately 50% liquids from an average lateral length of just under 14,000 feet, and aligns with our liquids marketing results we will cover later in this section.
Average lateral lengths for the wells drilled in Q2 was approximately 12,000 feet with five wells exceeding 16,500 feet.
Similar to updates from prior quarters, we returned to pad sites for a significant portion of our activity in Q2, with approximately 75% of our new wells drilled on pads with existing production.
As an example, in the first half of 2021, we've seen a 10% reduction in average drilling cost per lateral foot versus full year 2020, which fell below $200 per foot.
On the completion side, the team completed 20 wells with a total lateral footage of more than 225,000 feet with an average horizontal length of approximately 11,300 feet per well, including four wells with lateral lengths exceeding 18,000 feet per well.
The team successfully executed over 1,100 frac stages in the second quarter, while hydraulic fracturing efficiencies in the first half of the year increased by more than 6% versus the same time period a year ago.
And as a result, completion costs were reduced by over $1.6 million for the second quarter.
The continued success of our water operations, along with the efficiencies captured by the completions team has reduced our overall water costs for the first half of the year by just under $7 million or $15 per foot less in cost.
And it represents a 28% improvement in water costs versus the same time last year.
Water savings can vary each quarter, depending on the location of our operations, but generating these types of cost reductions has become a repeatable part of our program, and it aids in our ability to deliver at or below our 2021 drill and complete cost per foot target of $570 per foot.
With the winter behind us, lease operating expenses for the quarter closed out at $0.10 per Mcf equivalent and are projected to remain at a similar level for the remainder of the year.
As a result of these tightening fundamentals and the corresponding improvement in prices throughout the quarter, Range's NGL price was $27.92 per barrel, a $2.24 premium to Mont Belvieu.
Range's premium NGL differential remains an expected positive $0.50 to $2 per barrel for the full year, showing the benefit of our diversified NGL portfolio and access to international markets.
On the condensate side, realized price for the second quarter was $57.60, a differential of $8.36 per barrel.
With operators administering capital and production discipline this year, ongoing strength in LNG exports at 11 Bcf per day and overall storage levels running below the five year average, an undersupplied market has materialized, further impacting 2021 pricing and movement in the forward curve above $3 for 2022.
As we look at the second quarter, Range reported a Q2 natural gas differential of $0.39 under NYMEX, including basis hedging.
Our relentless focus on expenditures that drive cash flow in addition to diversity in sales points for natural gas, natural gas liquids and condensate resulted in cash flow from operations of $177 million before working capital compared to $120 million in capital spending.
Significant improvements in free cash flow compared to past periods were driven by a 100% improvement in pre-hedge realized prices per unit of production versus the prior year period, with realized price per unit reaching $3.25 in the second quarter.
This realized price per unit is $0.41 above NYMEX Henry Hub, driven by a 118% increase in NGL price per barrel, which reached $27.92 pre-hedge.
Realized NGL price on an Mcfe basis equates to $4.65 and condensate realizations equate to $9.60 per Mcfe, hence, the realized premium to Henry Hub.
Additionally, Range's NGL prices exceeded a Mont Belvieu equivalent NGL barrel by $2.24 due to our unique portfolio of domestic and international sales contracts.
Such that at quarter end and assuming the election of outstanding swaptions, Range was approximately 40% hedged on natural gas at a floor of $2.80 and with a ceiling of $3.04.
As an example, Range's average swap for condensate production improves by $10 per barrel in the third quarter, while propane, butane and natural gasoline averages all improved by approximately $0.20 per gallon versus second quarter.
Lease operating expenses remain near historic lows at $0.10 per unit on the back of consistent efficient Marcellus operations.
Cash G&A expenses increased slightly to $31 million or $0.16 per unit.
First, roughly $1.5 million related to legal expenses that should tail off next quarter.
Cash interest expense was roughly $55 million, flat with the preceding quarter and with reduced debt balances should begin to decline in coming quarters.
As discussed previously, an increase in revenue of $1 per NGL barrel equates to approximately $0.01 per Mcfe in cost.
For reference, since February, Range's forecasted NGL realizations in 2021 have increased by approximately $7 per barrel, potentially resulting in an increase of approximately $250 million in pre-hedge revenue.
Net of price-linked processing costs, forecasted '21 pre hedge cash flow from NGLs has increased by approximately $200 million since February, demonstrating the significant margin expansion from rising NGL prices.
In aggregate, revenue improvements stemming from diverse marketing arrangements, coupled with prudent hedging and thoughtful expense management resulted in cash margin per unit of production expanding to $0.93.
As described last quarter, near-term maturities have been a focus such that we reduced bond maturities through 2024 by almost $1.2 billion, while at the same time, improving liquidity to nearly $2 billion.
During the second quarter, we reduced total debt by $66 million, including all subordinated bonds.
At current commodity prices, forecast indicates leverage in the mid-1 times area is achievable in the first half of 2022.

Summary:
Looking forward, consistent with our activity forecast for the second half of the year, the remainder of our capital spending is expected to taper through year-end, in line with our activity forecast previously communicated and placing us at or below our all-in budget of $425 million.
Cash G&A expenses increased slightly to $31 million or $0.16 per unit.