Five Well Permits Issued in Ohio’s Utica

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Five new permits for horizontal wells were issued in the Utica shale region of eastern Ohio last week, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

All five permits were secured by Oklahoma City-based Ascent Resources Utica LLC, which recently announced a deal to acquire assets and properties of Hess Corp., CNX Resources, Utica Minerals Development, and another unnamed party, totaling $1.5 billion.

Ascent secured three permits to drill wells in Belmont County and two in Harrison County, according to ODNR.

The number of rigs operating in the Utica shale for the week ended July 7 stood at 18, one less than the previous week.

As of July 7, ODNR has issued 2,843 horizontal well permits in the Utica. Of that number, 2,371 are drilled and 1,913 are in production.

There were no permits issued for northern tier of the Utica in Ohio, which encompasses Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

However, Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Co. was awarded permits to drill four vertical wells in nearby Lawrence County and two vertical wells in Mercer County in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Hilcorp received permits to drill two conventional wells in Mahoning Township and two others in Pulaski Township in Lawrence County, while it received two permits to drill conventional wells in Jefferson and Shenango townships in Mercer County.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.