The Americas continue to be the world’s top jurisdiction for oil and gas investment. With Chinese super-E&P Cnooc saying this past week it is seeking farm-in deals in newly-opened plays in the Gulf of Mexico. 

And in onshore shale, activity is just a frenetic. With new data showing a surprising surge in drilling for one play that few observers have been watching of late. 

The Haynesville shale of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. 

Unconventional drilling in this play has largely been overshadowed by higher-profile shales like the Permian, Eagle Ford and Marcellus/Utica the last few years. In fact, as the chart below shows, overall Haynesville natural gas production had been steadily falling since mid-2013 — up until the beginning of this year.