Rig Count Rises in Ohio’s Utica Shale

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The number of oil and gas rigs operating in eastern Ohio’s Utica shale continues to increase, while permits issued for new horizontal wells jumped during the week ended July 29, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

ODNR reported that the Utica’s rig count stood at 27 for the week, the highest mark so far this year.

Also, the agency issued 24 new horizontal permits to six energy companies exploring oil and gas reserves in the Utica – all of them drilling in the central or southern tier of the play.

Hess Ohio Developments LLC secured nine permits for wells in Harrison County and R.E. Gas Development LLC was awarded six permits in Carroll County. Eclipse Resources LLC and CNX Gas Co. secured three permits each, while Statoil USA Onshore secured two permits for wells in Monroe County.

Ascent Resources was awarded a single permit to drill in Jefferson County.

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

As of July 29, there are 2,566 permits issued in Ohio’s Utica, 2,063 wells drilled, and 1,590 wells in production, according to ODNR.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.