Longest lateral in US drilled into Marcellus shale by Expand Energy by Farm and Dairy Staff, June 16, 2025, Farm and Dairy
SALEM, Ohio — A drilling crew for Expand Energy Corporation has set several new national records while working on the BW Edge MSH 210H well in Marshall County, West Virginia.
According to the company, Rig EDC 41 drilled the longest lateral (horizontal) section in U.S. history, at 27,657 feet or 5.2 miles. The well also boasts the title of the longest total well in U.S. land drilling at 34,507 feet, or 6.5 miles, through the Marcellus shale.
The crew also achieved the longest single-bit run in U.S. land, at 30,368 feet and the 48-hour footage world record of 21,314 feet. Expand Energy’s 24-hour and daily footage records were also broken during construction.
The ultra-long well allows Expand Energy to tap into more underground resources from fewer surface locations, reducing environmental impact 
It’s not true that multiwell pads or long horizontals reduce impacts or harms. The toxic chemicals, truck traffic, fumes, noise, stadium lights, toxic radioactive waste dumping are often even worse than short horizontals or verticalswhile lowering costs and boosting efficiency, which suits the environmental constraints of remote Appalachia, according to Sebastian Ziaja, senior drilling engineer for Expand Energy.
“This kind of performance only happens through months of preparation and teamwork,” Ziaja said in a press release. “From design to execution, it’s a true group effort.”
Expand Energy, formed through the combination of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Southwestern Energy Company in 2024, is the largest natural gas producer in the U.S.
In March, Expand Energy landed a 5.6-mile hole in northern West Virginia’s Marcellus Shale.
The state has been host to record-smashing laterals in the past, with the longest lateral section drilled in a North American oil and gas shale well previously reaching 24,166 feet in Lewis County, West Virginia, in 2023, according to the service firm Tenaris.
The records set by the Marshall County well were confirmed by independent industry organizations, ensuring accuracy and credibility.There is no such thing as an independent industry organization. What hog wash.
Refer also to:
2021: Pennsylvania Supreme Court gives gas industry big victory, Rules in favour of frac royalty cheaters (Anadarko, Chesapeake), Kills Attorney General’s anti-trust lawsuit. Jackie Root: “It just seems like ruling after ruling is coming down in favor of the oil and gas companies, handing them all the cards and all the money.”Bribes work wonders on politicians, env NGOs and judges