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 SEPTEMBER 2013 Vol. 234 No.9 ShaleTech NIOBRARA INDEPENDENTS UNRAVEL PLAY, HIKE LIQUIDS PRODUCTION JIM REDDEN, Contributing Editor A rig drills for oil in Colorado’s liquids-rich basins against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountain range. Source: Colorado Geological Survey. While the byzantine Niobrara shale that underlies a substantial portion of the U.S. Rockies, and beyond, is not for the technologically skittish, recent production data suggest that the resolute independents, who dominate the liquids-rich play, are steadily getting a handle on its unrivaled geological complexities.Even though the multi-horizon Niobrara may have a long way to go, to reach its earlier billing as...

Anadarko Focusing on Onshore U.S. Operations  Though Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC  ) is well known for its international asset portfolio, which includes sizable stakes in the Jubilee field off Ghana's shore, the El Merk project in Algeria's Sahara Desert, and exploratory prospects offshore various African countries, the company's onshore U.S. operations account for nearly 90% of its total production and 60% of this year's capital spending.In fact, Anadarko is so optimistic about its growth runway in the U.S. that it recently sold some international assets to help fund its onshore U.S. drilling program. Let's take a closer look.Mozambique sale to fund...