Utica Shale Oil, Gas Production on the Rise

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Oil and natural gas production from horizontal wells across the Utica shale increased through the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The agency said Utica wells produced 5.073 million barrels of oil during the quarter, versus 3.942 million barrels during the same period in 2018, or an increase of 28.69%

Natural gas production also climbed year-to-year. Wells in the Utica yielded 609.452 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the first quarter compared to 531.954 billion cubic feet a year ago, according to ODNR.

ODNR said that 2,228 wells reported production through the first three months of the year. The average amount of oil produced per well stood at 2,277 barrels, while the average amount of gas produced per well was 273.542 million cubic feet.

The largest producing gas well in the Utica was Ascent Resources’ Nolan Wolf 1H in Jefferson County. That single well yielded 3.264 billion cubic feet of gas over 90 days.

Eclipse Resources reported the biggest oil producing-well during the quarter, according to ODNR. The company’s Jupiter B 3H well yielded 147,565 barrels over a 90-day period.

Wells in and around the Mahoning Valley did not perform nearly as well as those in the southern section of the Utica, according to ODNR’s report.

The biggest well in Columbiana County was Chesapeake Exploration Co.’s Paige well in Franklin Township, which yielded 502.617 million cubic feet of natural gas. 

Pin Oak Energy Partners’ Buckeye 1H well proved to be the most productive in Trumbull County. The Hartford Township well produced 38.631 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Hilcorp Energy Co. registered the most productive natural gas well in Mahoning County, according to ODNR. The company’s Poland CCL-2 3H well in Poland Township produced 67.833 million cubic feet of gas during the quarter.

Oil production was negligible throughout the northern section of the Utica.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.