Utica and Marcellus shale update: Belmont County leads Ohio in drilling permits in July

SALEM, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports 80 new horizontal drilling permits were issued in July.

Currently, the ODNR is reporting 32 drilling rigs operating in the state. So far, 832 horizontal drilling permits were issued since record keeping began and 466 wells were drilled. There are 122 producing wells in Ohio.

Belmont County led the state with the highest number of horizontal permits issued last month.

According to the ODNR, there were 15 permits issued in Kirkwood, Warren, Somerset and Union townships. The permits were issued to Gulfport Energy Corporation and Hess Ohio Developments LLC.

Harrison, Carroll counties

Harrison and Carroll counties each had 14 new permits issued during July, according to the ODNR. All of the permits in Carroll County were issued to Chesapeake Exploration LLC in East, Perry, Union and Fox townships.

In Harrison County, the permits were divided between Chesapeake Exploration, Gulfport Energy Corporation and Hess Ohio Developments LLC. The permits were issued in Rumley, Athens and Freeport townships.

Guernsey County

The ODNR issued nine permits for drilling in Guernsey County. This brings the total number of permits in the county to 45. The nine permits issued in July were for drilling locations in Londonderry Township to Gulfport Energy Corporation. The permits issued were for two separate drilling locations.

Mahoning County

A total of seven permits were issued in Mahoning County to Hilcorp Energy Corporation in Poland Township.

Monroe County

Six permits were issued in Monroe County. The ODNR issued five permits to Eclipse Resources I LP. for a drilling site in Lee Township. One remaining permit was issued to Antero Resources Corporation for a well site in Seneca Township.

Columbiana County

In Columbiana County, five permits were issued by the ODNR. All of the permits were issued to Chesapeake Exploration LLC. The permits were issued drilling sites in Wayne, Hanover and Franklin townships.

Noble County

A total of four permits were issued in Noble County. Two permits were issued in Beaver Township and two were issued in Seneca Township. All of the permits were issued to Antero Resources Corporation.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection issues permits for oil and gas drilling.
During July, the DEP issued 264 permits and reported 153 unconventional (horizontal) wells were drilled.

Butler County led the state with the most number of drilling permits issued. The DEP issued 18 permits and eight wells were drilled there.

Washington County

The DEP reported they issued 13 permits for new wells in Washington County. In addition, the DEP report showed that 12 wells were drilled.

In Bradford County, where the shale boom began in 2008, there were 24 permits issued. Three new wells were drilled, according to the DEP.

Greene County

In Greene County, which is located south of Pittsburgh, there were 25 permits issued. Three new wells were drilled, according to the DEP.

Beaver County

Drilling appears to be ramping up in Beaver County. There were four permits issued and three wells were drilled during July.

According to the DEP, one permit was issued in each of Mercer and Lawrence counties.

Range Resources Appalachia reported to the DEP it had drilled 12 shale wells during July.

Some of the companies that also reported drilling wells included Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC., six wells;  XTO Energy LLC., three wells drilled; EQT Production Co., three wells drilled and SWEPI LP., a division of the Shell, four wells.

West Virginia

There were no Utica shale permits issued in West Virginia during July but there were four counties with Marcellus shale permits issued.

The West Virginia DEP issued a permit to Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC for a well in Ohio County. The farm is owned by GW Rentals, LLC.

In Marshall County, there were six Marcellus shale permits issued there. Permits were issued to Noble Energy Inc. for drilling on farms owned by the Consolidation Coal Company, David Rutherford, Violetta Matthews and Robert W. Hall, Jr. et. al.

Permits were also issued in Wetzel County for Marcellus shale drilling. The four permits were issued to Statoil USA Onshore Properties, Inc. The farms are owned by Kenneth and Sondra Shreve, Quentin Cruppenink, Michael G. Kuhn and Nancy E. Jolliffe, executor for Joe Jolliffe.

In Tyler County, the West Virginia DEP issued two permits for Marcellus shale drilling. The permits were issued to Jay-Bee Oil and Gas and Noble Energy, Inc. The land in which they are drilling is owned by the company drilling.