CONSOL’s Plans for Ohio Utica Shale Have Begun

CONSOL Energy’s drilling in Ohio’s Utica Shale is now under way and ramping up rapidly, according to CONSOL’s Harry Schurr who spoke Wednesday at a workshop on the campus of Kent State University. They’ve already drilled their first Utica well in Tuscarawas County, and they plan to drill 15 more this year. CONSOL also has a joint venture with Hess. Hess plans to drill six Utica wells this year.

The Pittsburgh-based energy company has drilled its first Ohio well, in Tuscarawas County, and expects to add perhaps 15 more Ohio wells this year on its nearly 200,000 acres, said Harry Schurr, the company’s general manager of Utica operations.

Schurr said the company is focusing its drilling on nearly 87,000 acres in five Ohio counties: Portage, Trumbull, Mahoning, Tuscarawas and Noble.

In fact, the company has more acreage in Portage than any other in Ohio: 25,443 acres.

It has three rigs operating in Ohio: horizontal drilling rigs in Rootstown Township and in Noble County, plus a vertical drilling rig in Mahoning County, Schurr said.

CONSOL Energy is also partnering with New York-based Hess Corp. in Ohio.

Hess will develop wells on nearly 76,000 acres in Guernsey, Belmont, Jefferson and Harrison counties.

Hess plans to drill six Ohio wells in 2012.*

*Akron (OH) Beacon Journal (Jun 27, 2012) – CONSOL Energy has big drilling plans for Portage, four other Ohio counties