Fayetteville Shale Gas: Decline vs. Lateral length

This is a typical evolutionary cycle of the unconventional shale gas play. Verical wells get bigger and bigger fracs. Then the horizonatal learning curve starts. The laterals increasingly become longer, which results in an increasing number of frac stages. Just a couple of years ago, SWN was hoping to get out 3500'.
Oh yeah, and gas is under $4.00/mcf.