18 Rigs Operating In Utica Shale

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports that 18 oil and gas rigs were operating in eastern Ohio’s Utica shale last week.

The rig count in the Utica has dropped since the week ended Feb. 24, when ODNR reported 21 rigs drilling in the Utica.

The number of permits for new horizontal wells, however, increased to 17 during the week ended March 10, ODNR said. Just two permits were issued for new wells the previous week.

Eleven of the permits last week were issued to Oklahoma City-based Ascent Resources for wells in Belmont, Jefferson and Guernsey counties, ODNR reported. State College, Pa.-based Eclipse Resources and Houston-based Triad Resources secured three permits apiece for wells in Monroe County.

As of March 10, 2,779 permits were granted to energy companies for wells in Ohio’s Utica, according to ODNR data. Of that number, 2,282 wells have been drilled and 1,862 are in production.

No new permits were issued in the northern tier of Ohio’s Utica, which includes Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Nor were there new Utica permits issued in neighboring Mercer and Lawrence counties in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.