PITTSBURGH — State regulators report that Marcellus Shale natural gas production in Pennsylvania topped three trillion cubic feet in 2013. That's more than double the previous year's production, and the energy equivalent of over 500 million barrels of oil.

The Department of Environmental Protection reported the production figures. The data is submitted by energy companies and sometimes contains errors, but the report of 3.1 trillion feet for total 2013 production is very close to independent estimates.

The Marcellus Shale is a gas-rich formation deep underground that extends across several states, but most of the current production is in Pennsylvania.

HARRISBURG — State lawmakers are hearing that Pennsylvania's new law that lets bars run small games of chance is getting a trickle of license applicants, not the deluge policymakers had planned for.Pennlive.com reported Wednesday that only six applicants have come forward, and two of those applications aren't complete.Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal assumes the state will collect more than $100 million from the games next year.The games include pull tabs and 50-50 raffles.

HARRISBURG — Environmental organizations, anti-drilling activists and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania are protesting Gov. Tom Corbett's plan to allow more natural gas to be extracted from below state parks and forests.The 35 groups issued a letter Wednesday to state lawmakers asking them to oppose it.Corbett says he plans to allow exploration companies to use horizontal bores to extract the gas from below public lands when they drill on adjacent, privately owned lands. His proposed budget relies on $75 million in fees from new leases and administration officials say the policy will prohibit any further surface disturbance in state parks and forests.