Epsilon Energy Ltd. (EPSEF) said Friday it is slashing its natural gas production by 44% in response to low prices.

The Ontario-based oil and gas producer is reducing its gas production to 2.1 million cubic feet a day from 3.8 MMcf/d. The company has shut in one well in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale gas field and has curtailed production from a second well.

"With natural gas prices dipping below $2.00/mcf, we will continue to manage natural gas production rates from our Highway 706 project in order to optimize our cash flows," said Zoran Arandjelovic, Epsilon's chairman and chief executive.

Large gas producers such as Devon Energy Corp. (DVN) and Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) have reined in drilling activity as U.S. natural gas prices tumble. Gas prices have fallen about 80% from last summer's highs on mild weather, ample production from onshore gas fields and weak demand during the economic downturn.

Natural gas for October delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was recently trading at $2.626 a million British thermal units.

-By Christine Buurma, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2143; christine.buurma@dowjones.com

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