Chesapeake Set to Drill First Shale Well in Hancock County, WV

If plans hold, Chesapeake Energy will drill the first shale gas well in Hancock County, WV within the next few months. Hancock is the northern-most county in WV.

After leasing, drilling and fracking their way up through the Northern Panhandle over the past four years, Chesapeake Energy officials are going to drill at the "Top of West Virginia" in Hancock County.

Records from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection show Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake has permits to drill its first wells in the state’s northernmost county on property in the name of Carolyn Allison, east of New Cumberland.

"The pad site is finished, and we expect to drill there in the early part of the spring," said Stacey Brodak, senior director of corporate development for Chesapeake. "But like with all of the others, the schedule can change at any time."

Chesapeake and companies such as Chevron, CNX Gas Corp., Gastar Exploration, Trans Energy, EQT, Stone Energy, Magnum Hunter and others have been drilling and fracking in Tyler, Wetzel and Marshall counties for the past few years. Only Chesapeake has drilled wells in Ohio or Brooke counties so far, though Chevron, which acquired significant operations and acreage from AB Resources and Chief Oil and Gas throughout the Northern Panhandle last year, has acreage in Ohio County.*

*Steubenville (OH) The Herald-Star (Mar 9, 2012) – Drilling company reaches Hancock County