Rig Count Holds Steady as Ohio Permitting Slows

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The number of oil and gas rigs operating in eastern Ohio’s Utica shale stood at 19 for the week ended June 9, as permit activity trickled to a near stop, according to the latest update from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

ODNR reported that it awarded just two new permits for horizontal wells in the Utica last week, both to Ascent Resources Utica LLC for wells in Guernsey County.

The agency released just one permit the previous week, indicating a slowdown in terms of permit interest over the last several weeks.

As of June 9, ODNR has issued 2,837 permits for horizontal wells in the Utica. Of that number, 2,358 wells are drilled and 1,899 are producing.

No new permits were issued for the northern tier of the Utica, which includes Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, according to ODNR. There were no new permits issued in nearby Lawrence and Mercer counties in western Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

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