Rig Count Drops in Ohio Utica as Production Rises

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The rig count across eastern Ohio’s Utica shale dropped to 16 during the week ended July 14, down from 18 recorded the previous week, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Permitting activity was also light in the Utica, as just one permit for a single horizontal well was issued during the week. Ascent Resources Utica LLC, based in Oklahoma City, secured a permit for a new horizontal well in Jefferson County.

As of July 14, there are 2,483 permits issued for horizontal wells across the Utica in eastern Ohio. Of that number, 2,372 wells are drilled and 1,929 wells are in production.

There were no new horizontal well permits for wells in the northern tier of the Utica play, which includes Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

There were no new permits issued in neighboring Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

However, natural gas output from the Utica and Marcellus shale plays in the Appalachian Basin continues to rise, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s drilling productivity report.

The EIA estimates that natural gas production in August from wells in the Utica and Marcellus should increase at a rate of 328 million cubic feet per day compared to July. Oil production should also increase by 4,000 barrels per day compared to the same period.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.