Two Well Permits Awarded in Columbiana County

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Hilcorp Energy Co. has secured two new permits for horizontal wells in Columbiana County, according to the most recent data posted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Both wells are targeted for Elk Run Township on the Johnston pad, and are the first permits awarded in Columbiana County since August 2018, according to records.

No new well permits were reported for Mahoning or Trumbull counties in the northern tier of the Utica. Nor were there new permits issued in nearby Lawrence or Mercer counties in the northern Utica’s western Pennsylvania footprint, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

ODNR issued a total of 15 permits for the week ended Feb. 9, the agency reported. Aside from Hilcorp’s two Columbiana County wells, Ascent Resources LLC secured six new permits – two for wells in Belmont County, three for wells slated for Guernsey County, and a single permit for a well in Harrison County.

Equinor USA Onshore Properties Inc. was awarded four permits for wells in Monroe County, while Chesapeake Exploration LLC secured three permits to drill wells in Harrison County.

To date, ODNR has issued 3,000 permits to oil and gas companies that use horizontal drilling methods to explore the Utica/Point Pleasant shale formation in Ohio. These companies have so far drilled 2,531 wells in the shale play, while 2,141 of these wells are in production.

The majority of wells drilled are located in the southeastern portion of the state, where higher geological pressure in the shale allows for more production.

ODNR reported that there were 14 rigs in operation during the week.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.