There are now 1,787 wells producing in the Utica or Point Pleasant shale plays in Ohio

By Susan Crowell / editor@farmanddairy.com

SALEM, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued 80 oil and gas permits in Ohio’s Utica, Point Pleasant and Marcellus shale plays in the final two months of 2017.

That’s up 10 from the 70 permits issued during that same time period in 2016.

Across the southeastern Ohio region where the horizontal drilling is focused, there are now 2,236 wells drilled and 1,787 wells producing in the Utica/Point Pleasant shale (scroll down to see a map of the producing Utica Shale wells in Ohio).

Belmont County. In Belmont County, there were 16 permits issued for oil or gas wells in the Utica/Point Pleasant shales in November 2017. Nine of the permits were for sites in Goshen Township — six for legs of the “Del Scorcho” well site; two at the “Walking Tall” well and one at the Iron Warrior. Drilling has commenced on five of the permits.

Five permits were issued to Ascent Resources Utica for well sites in Wheeling Township, three at the R. Hoover wells and two at the Pang wells. Drilling is underway on all five permits.

There were two permits issued in November in Washington Township, both to Gulfport Energy Corp. for the “Horseshoe” well. Drilling is underway on one of the legs.

An additional 12 permits were issued in December. Gulfport Energy Corporation received six of those permits, four for the Dornon wells in Smith Township, and two for the Horseshoe well in Washington Township.

Rice Drilling started drilling on three permits at the “Razin Kane” wells in Goshen Township; Ascent Resources Utica received a permit for the Earley-Rose site in Colerain Township; and Gulfport Appalachia received two permits for the Ridgetop wells in Pease Township.

Monroe County. There were 10 permits issued in November for well sites in Monroe County.

Eclipse Resources received two permits for the Yellow Rose C wells in Adams Township, two permits for the Ballpark wells in Salem Township, and one permit for the Roth well in Green Township.

CNX Gas Company received three permits for the Quarto Mining Company well sites in Switzerland Township.

Statoil USA Onshore Properties received one permit for the Isaly well site in Ohio Township, and EM Energy Ohio received a permit for the Zorin well in Perry Township.

There were also 10 permits issued in December 2017 in Monroe County. Eclipse Resources received four, all for the Roth wells in Green Township.

Statoil USA Onshore received three additional permits for the Stalder sites and started drilling.

Gulfport Energy Corp. received two permits for the Gary wells in Sunsbury Township, and started drilling at one site.

CNX Gas Company received an additional permit on the Quarto Mining Company site in Switzerland Township.

Carroll County. There were three permits issued to Chesapeake Exploration for the Wiandt well site in Perry Township, Carroll County, in November 2017.

Jefferson County. In November, Ascent Resources Utica received three permits for the Mingo wells in Jefferson County’s Cross Creek Township. Drilling is underway on two of those permits.

Ascent Resources Utica received an additional nine permits in December, three for the Elite wells and three for the Colaianni wells, all in Mount Pleasant Township. One permit was for the Mingo well in Cross Creek Township, and two were for the Nolan wells, also in Cross Creek Township. Drilling has started on the Cross Creek Township legs.

Columbiana County. There were two permits issued in November to Chesapeake Exploration for the Paige well site in Columbiana County’s Franklin Township. As of Dec. 31, one has been drilled.

Guernsey County. Ascent Resources Utica received one permit in November for the Black Racer well site in Londonderry Township in Guernsey County, and started drilling.

Another eight permits were issued in Guernsey County in December, all to Ascent Resources Utica. Five were for the Hoop well sites in Londonderry Township, and another to the Wagler well, also in Londonderry Township. Two additional permits were for the Shipman wells in Wills Township. Ascent started drilling on all eight permits.

Harrison County. Four permits were issued to Chesapeake Exploration in December for the Buell wells in Archer Township. Drilling has started on two of those permits, as of Dec. 31.

Noble County. Gulfport Energy Corp. received two permits during December for the Cunningham wells in Beaver Township, Noble County.

Marcellus shale

There were five permits issued in November in the Marcellus shale play in Ohio, all in Monroe County, Ohio Township. Triad Hunter LLC received all the permits for the Ormet well site, and is in the process of drilling those legs.

There were no Marcellus shale permits issued in December 2017.

Of the 35 wells drilled in the Marcellus, 20 are producing. Of those, 15 are in Monroe County; three in Belmont County; and one each in Carroll and Jefferson counties.

See related story: Ohio’s 3Q shale oil and gas production climbs

Pennsylvania drilling

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued 425 unconventional gas well permits during November and December 2017.

In western Pennsylvania, there were 109 permits issued for sites in Washington County; 81 permits in Greene County; 44 permits for sites in Allegheny County; 39 in Beaver County; 17 in Butler County; and 6 in Westmoreland County.

In northcentral Pennsylvania, where the Marcellus play is also strong, 43 permits were issued in Susquehanna County; 42 in Tioga County; and 18 in Bradford County.

Throughout 2017, the DEP issued 513 permits in Washington County and a single multiple well bore permit there.

There were 452 permits issued in Greene County in 2017; 122 permits in Butler County; 116 in Allegheny County; 81 in Beaver; 51 in Armstrong; and 47 permits in 2017 in Westmoreland County.

In northcentral Pennsylvania, DEP issued 194 permits in 2017 in Susquehanna County; 112 in Tioga; 99 in Bradford; 92 in Lycoming; 28 each in Elk and Potter counties, and 32 permits in Sullivan County.

Fewer than 10 permits were issued in various other Pa. counties in 2017.

In January through November 2017, there were 752 unconventional wells drilled in the Commonwealth. Of those, 201 were in Washington County, and another 131 drilled in Greene County. The top three drillers were Range Resources Appalachia, EQT Production Co., and Rice Drilling.

In the first 11 months of 2017, there were 1,836 permits issued for unconventional oil or gas drilling in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia

The first 11 months of 2017, there were 486 permits issued for unconventional oil and gas wells by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

* *

See related story:

Ohio’s 3Q shale oil and gas production climbs