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20 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jan 15 – 21

There were 20 new permits issued to drill in the Marcellus/Utica during the week of Jan. 15 – 21, versus 24 permits issued during the prior week. Pennsylvania issued 11 new permits last week. Ohio issued 9 new permits. West Virginia had a big, fat zero new permits last week. Ascent Resources scored the most new permits issued, with 5 permits across two counties, Jefferson and Harrison, in Ohio. Encino Energy (EAP in the list) had the second most new permits issued with 4 permits in Harrison County, OH.
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26 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 7-13

Permits issued to drill new Marcellus/Utica wells slipped last week, for the week of Nov. 7-13. Last week saw a total of 26 new permits issued, falling from 43 permits the week before. Pennsylvania received the most permits, just barely, with 13 new permits. Ohio received 12 new permits, and West Virginia a single new permit.
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30 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 18-24

Last week Pennsylvania issued 22 new shale well permits, up ten from the prior week. EQT led the way with five permits, all in Greene County. Both LOLA Energy and Snyder Brothers had four permits each, LOLA in Butler County and Snyder in Armstrong. For the second week in a row, Ohio had no new shale permits issued last week. Bummer. West Virginia had eight permits, up from two in the prior week. Arsenal Resources had the most with four permits in Taylor County, while Southwestern Energy had three permits–one in Ohio County and two in Brooke County.
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16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 1-7

Three weeks ago the total number of permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica was 22. Two weeks ago it fell to 9. Last week the numbers picked up somewhat, with 16 new permits issued, breaking down as: 12 permits issued in Pennsylvania, 2 permits issued in Ohio, and 2 permits issued in West Virginia.
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28 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 18-24

Last week Pennsylvania issued 21 permits to drill new shale wells. Most of the permits went to two well pads, one in Butler County drilled by PennEnergy Resources and the other in Tioga County drilled by Repsol. Ohio issued six new permits, three to Encino Energy, two to Utica Resource Operating, and one to Ascent Resources. West Virginia, for the second week in a row, issued just one new permit. Last week’s WV permit went to Tug Hill Operating in Marshall County.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Oct 11-17

Last week Pennsylvania issued 14 permits to drill new shale wells scattered around the state. The permits were issued to Chesapeake Energy, EQT, EXCO Resources, Chief Oil & Gas, and Southwestern Energy. Ohio issued five new permits in two counties, but all of them were issued to Ascent Resources. West Virginia issued just one new permit in a county we don’t often see in the list: Marion. The single WV permit was issued to EQT.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Aug 30-Sep 5

Last week only Pennsylvania issued new permits for new shale well drilling–14 of them scattered around the state. Both Ohio (for the seventh week in a row) and West Virginia did not issue new shale permits last week.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Aug 23-29

Last week both Pennsylvania and West Virginia issued permits to drill new shale wells. Ohio remained skunked for a sixth week in a row. What’s going on in Ohio? Or rather, what isn’t going on there? PA issued 15 new shale permits. Not to be outdone, WV also issued 15 new shale permits.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: May 10-16

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received a sizable 14 new permits (after receiving 18 permits the previous week). The majority of those permits were for wells on three pads in northeastern PA. Ohio received 3 new permits last week all in one county (Greene) for one driller (Eclipse, now owned by Southwestern Energy) on one well pad. And West Virginia received a sizable 13 new permits with 9 of them split between two well pads for different drillers (Northeast Natural Energy and Tug Hill).
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: May 3-9

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received a big 18 new permits (after receiving no new permits the previous week). More than half of those 18 permits were for wells on two pads in southwestern PA. Ohio received 7 new permits last week all in one county (Jefferson), split between Encino Energy and Ascent Resources. And West Virginia received 10 new permits with 7 of them for a single pad in Lewis County.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Apr 5-9

Only Pennsylvania, of the three active Marcellus/Utica drilling states, issued new shale drilling permits last week. But PA’s permits were more than enough to make up for Ohio and West Virginia. PA issued 20 new permits in 7 different counties, scattered across the state (although most of the permits were issued in the dry gas northeastern part of the state).
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Feb 1-5

Two of three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received 22 new permits (second week in a row with 22 new permits). Ohio received zero new permits. And West Virginia received 6 new permits (down from 8 new permits the previous week).
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 28 – Oct 2

Somebody lit a fire under drillers in Pennsylvania last week! Or maybe we should say a fire was lit under the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). PA issued 35 new permits last week spread pretty much across the entire state–in the northeast, central, and southwest portions of the state. Ohio, once again, issued no new Utica permits last week. West Virginia issued a single new permit last week.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 21-25

An unusual situation for permits to drill new wells for last week. Pennsylvania only had 5 new permits while West Virginia had 12 new permits. It’s typically the other way around. Could this be the beginning of the effects from PA raising the permit fee from $5,000 to $12,500 per well? Maybe! Ohio had no new Utica permits issued last week. Drilling seems to have slowed in the Buckeye State.
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EXCO Resources Emerges from Bankruptcy 18 Months Later

In January 2018, some 18 years ago, MDN told you that EXCO Resources had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (see Sad Day: EXCO Resources Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy). While EXCO no longer actively drills in the Marcellus/Utica, the company owns 281,000 net acres in Appalachia, with approximately 149,000 of these net acres prospective for the Marcellus shale, and 5,709 conventional and 126 Marcellus wells. Last week EXCO said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy in “the coming weeks”–and already wants to drill new oil wells in Texas.
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Sad Day: EXCO Resources Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

You can’t say we didn’t warn you. In early November MDN told you that a “turnaround expert” hired two years ago to help EXCO Resources dig its way out of a deep hole had resigned and left (see EXCO Resources Heading for Bankruptcy, Turnaround Expert Resigns). At that time the company itself warned it “may be forced to seek protection from creditors under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.” And so they have. On Monday EXCO filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. EXCO has 184,000 net acres in the Marcellus, with 124 horizontal Marcellus wells drilled and in production. However, as we pointed out in early 2016, EXCO has abandoned new drilling the Marcellus/Utica–at this point. Based on language in their bankruptcy announcement (below), it seems likely EXCO is right now shopping their Marcellus (as well as other) assets. Amazingly, the company struck a deal for a new $250 million cash infusion from lenders to aide them through the bankruptcy/sale process. We just don’t understand high finance. Here’s news about the EXCO announcement, along with a copy of the official announcement…
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