(Scroll to bottom for list of the top-producing wells in the second quarter of 2017.)

By Susan Crowell / editor@farmanddairy.com

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued 70 new drilling permits in the Utica and Point Pleasant shales the past two months; 38 were issued in July and 32 in August.

Of the 323 permits issued to date in 2017, 81 have been drilled, but only two are in production, as of Sept. 9, 2017 — the Duane Weisend wells in Noble County’s Stock Township.

In comparison, there were 286 permits issued in 2016. Of those, 139 are now on line and producing.

Jefferson County

In July, Ascent Resources Utica received two permits for drilling at the Stone well sites in Jefferson County’s Cross Creek Township.

Ascent Resources Utica also received 10 drilling permits in August for sites in Jefferson County: two at the Cermak site in Smithfield Township; two at the Ferguson site, also in Smithfield Township; and three at the Giusto site in Cross Creek Township. Ascent also received permits for the Stone well site and Hammack well site, both in Cross Creek Township, and the Jack Hamilton well site in Smithfield Township.

Guernsey County

In August, there were seven drilling permits issued in Guernsey County, four for the Mercury well in Millwood Township, two for the Outlaw wells in Wills Township and a single permit for the Law well, also in Wills Township. All seven were issued to Eclipse Resources.

There were no permits issued in Guernsey County in July.

Monroe County

In July, there were 11 permits issued to well sites in Monroe County. Gulfport Energy Corporation received three, all for the Followay well site in Sunsbury Township. CNX Gas Company also received three, for the Baumberger site in Switzerland Township.

Eclipse Resources received three permits for the Rolland wells in Green Township, and Statoil USA Onshore Properties received two permits for the Faunda swells in Salem Township.

There were five drilling permits issued in Monroe County in August, three to Triad Hunter for the Ormet pad in Ohio Township, and two to Eclipse Resources for the Circosta wells in Salem Township.

Harrison County

In July, Hess Ohio Developments received 10 drilling permits in Harrison County: five for the Cadiz D unit in Cadiz Township; four for the Athens well in Athens Township; and one at the CNXHAR site in Short Creek Township.

Also in July, Chesapeake Exploration received two permits for additional drilling at the Hartley pad in North Township.

In August, Chesapeake Exploration received another permit for the Hartley well in North Township, and Ascent Resources Utica received three permits for the Sherwood well sites in Moorefield Township.

Belmont County

There were six permits issued in Belmont County in July, all to Gulfport Energy Corporation. Three were for the Alpha well sites in York Township; two for the Stephens well in Somerset Township, and one permit for the White well in Goshen Township.

In August, XTO Energy received two drilling permits for the West units in York Township.

Columbiana County

Two permits were issued in August in Columbiana County, both to Geopetro, which has already drilled the wells. The Rosebud well is located in Madison Township and the Carney well is located in Middleton Township. Neither are in production.

Noble County

Antero Resources Corporation received two permits in August for sites in Noble County, one at the Notchtop unit in Beaver Township and one at the Mueller well in Enoch Township.

Carroll County

There were seven permits issued to R.E. Gas Development in July for the Goebeler units in Harrison Township, Carroll County. There were no permits issued in the county in August.

There were no well permits issued in Ohio’s Marcellus shale in the second quarter of 2017, or to date in the third quarter.

Second quarter production

During the second quarter of 2017, Ohio’s horizontal shale wells produced 4,044,072 barrels of oil and 388,560,451 Mcf (388 billion cubic feet) of natural gas, according to the figures from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Natural gas production from the second quarter of 2017 showed an increase over the second quarter of 2016, while oil production was reduced for that same period.

The ODNR quarterly report lists 1,691 horizontal shale wells, 1,659 of which reported oil and natural gas production during the quarter.

Of the 1,659 reporting oil and natural gas results:

The average amount of oil produced was 2,438 barrels.

The average amount of gas produced was 234,214 Mcf.

The average number of first quarter days in production was 85.

All horizontal production reports can be accessed at http://oilandgas.ohiodnr.gov/production.