Devon Energy Receives First Utica Permit for Wayne County, OH

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Devon Energy has just received the first permit to drill a Utica Shale well in Wayne County, Ohio. No timeline is set for when the drilling will begin, but Devon hopes the well will yield not only methane but oil too.

An Oklahoma-based energy company is the first to receive a permit for a horizontal, hydraulic-fractured well in Wayne County, and locals connected with the industry say it could be a good thing if it produces.

Devon Energy Production Co. received the permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to drill the well in East Union Township. It will be the third Devon Energy well in the area, with the company having drilled in Ashland and Medina counties. Chesapeake Exploration has several wells in various stages of development in Tuscarawas and Stark counties.

Chip Minty, a spokesman for Devon Energy, said he does not have a time line yet on when drilling will proceed in East Union Township. Crews have just finished drilling the well in Harrison Township, outside of Lodi, and they are planning to complete it soon.

The well in Ashland County’s Clear Creek Township is believed to be in an oil-bearing formation, and it is still being evaluated, Minty said. It is too early in the evaluation process to determine its success.*

*Wooster (OH) The Daily Record (Jul 1, 2012) – Devon Energy Production Co. receives a permit to frack in Wayne County