After seven years of dramatic increases, proved reserves of natural gas declined 6.5 percent in Pennsylvania from 2014 to 2015, from 60.4 trillion cubic feet to 56.5 trillion cubic feet, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.
The decline in proved gas and oil reserves reflects a steep reduction in fossil fuel prices, which make some reserves uneconomic to produce. Nationwide, proved gas reserves declined by 16.6 percent and proved oil reserves declined by 11.8 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to an EIA report released Wednesday.
Proved reserves of natural gas surged nearly 17 times in Pennsylvania from 3.