Hilcorp Secures 4 Permits for Lawrence County

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Hilcorp Energy Co., the most active oil and gas producer drilling in the northern tier of the Utica shale, last week added more permits to develop horizontal wells in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Hilcorp secured permits April 21 for two new wells in Lawrence County at the NC Development site in North Beaver Township, the DEP said.

Since 2010, the DEP has issued 133 permits to Hilcorp for horizontal wells in Lawrence County, more than any other oil and gas production company in this region of the Utica.

Rex Energy holds the second largest number of permits in Lawrence County with 29, while SWEPI, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, holds 16 permits.

In Mercer County, Pa., Hilcorp has secured 60 permits for horizontal wells since 2010, according to the DEP. Halcon Resources Corp. holds 21 permits, Chevron Appalachia has 6, and SWEPI holds 12 in the county, DEP reports.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 10 new Utica permits were issued during the week ended April 25. All of the new well permits are in the central to southern tier of eastern Ohio’s section of the Utica.

Chesapeake Exploration LLC secured four new permits for wells in Carroll County. Antero Resources Corp. was awarded four new permits for wells in Monroe County. And American Energy Utica LLC received two permits for wells in Belmont County, ODNR said.

No new permits were issued for Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Since 2010, 1,463 wells have been drilled and 854 are in production, ODNR numbers show.

The state agency reported that just 22 rigs were operating in Ohio’s Utica last week, down from 24 rigs the previous week.

Oil and gas exploration across the Pennsylvania and Ohio portions of the Utica shale has slowed since the price of oil and gas started to plummet last summer.

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