Belmont County

Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Ohio | Pipelines | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Gulfport Cuts Deal with Competitor Rice Energy to Build Pipeline
August 1, 2014August 1, 2014

An interesting announcement from Gulfport Energy earlier this week. The company issued a “midstream update” and a production numbers for 2Q14 going back one year. What’s interesting is that Gulfport has cut midstream (i.e. pipeline) deals to get its production out of the Utica Shale basin in eastern Ohio. One deal is with Rice Energy, a competitor who also drills in the Utica. Rice will construct and operate gathering pipelines for Gulfport in several townships in Belmont County, OH. (Interesting that Rice is becoming a midstream company as well as a driller.) The second deal is with midstreamer MarkWest Energy to construct pipelines to Gulfport wells in other parts of Belmont County, and in parts of Monroe County, OH…
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Belmont County | Butler County | Carroll County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Noble County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

Rex Energy Begins Selling Ethane; New Wells Go Online in June
July 8, 2014July 8, 2014

Rex Energy, the “little driller that could” and indeed “is” doing a marvelous job in the Marcellus Shale, issued an important update yesterday. Rex reports they began ethane sales on June 11–which was a little bit delayed from what they had expected. But better late than never. Rex projects selling 2,000-3,000 barrels per day of ethane until mid-July at which point more sources will come online. Once all cylinders are firing, the company expects to sell 5,000 barrels of ethane per day. In addition to the good ethane news, Rex recently brought a number of new Marcellus Shale wells online and expects to keep up a brisk pace this year…
Read More “Rex Energy Begins Selling Ethane; New Wells Go Online in June”
Belmont County | Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Marcellus/Utica Driller Eclipse Resources IPO Seeks $864M+
June 19, 2014June 19, 2014

Just over a month ago MDN brought you the news that PA-based Marcellus/Utica driller Eclipse Resources would soon float an initial public offering (IPO) hoping to raise $100 million (see Utica Driller Eclipse Resources Files IPO – Wants to Raise $100M). It now appears the information in that story was off–way off. Earlier this month Eclipse launched their IPO by announcing they want to sell 30.3 million shares of common stock for $27-$30 per share. If you calculate they get $28.50, that would raise $864 million!…
Read More “Marcellus/Utica Driller Eclipse Resources IPO Seeks $864M+”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Rice Energy Does 2nd Deal with Belmont County, $8,200/Acre!
June 16, 2014June 16, 2014

In April, Belmont County officials signed a lease with Rice Energy to allow drilling on 406 acres of county-owned land for a staggering $7,500 per acre and 20% royalties. They liked it so much, they immediately put another 426 acres up for bid (see Belmont County Shopping New Deal to Lease Additional 426 Acres). It didn’t take long for Belmont County to sign a new lease with Rice for the second parcel–for an even higher $8,200 per acre signing bonus with 20% royalties…
Read More “Rice Energy Does 2nd Deal with Belmont County, $8,200/Acre!”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

More Sightings of “Bigfoot” (Well) in Belmont County, OH
June 10, 2014June 10, 2014

Rice Energy’s “monster” well in Belmont County, OH, called the Bigfoot 9H, is still making waves (see Rice Energy’s Bigfoot New Reigning Utica Well Champ – 42 Mmcf/d!). After five days of production, the well settled in at an initial production flow rate of 42 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d)–the best ever IP for a Utica Shale well. MDN told you what Dan Rice IV, CEO of Rice Energy, said is the secret to their success with Bigfoot (see The Secret of Rice Energy’s Success with the Utica Bigfoot Well). Now comes word that Rice is drilling another well very close to Bigfoot. And we’ve found a second secret to Bigfoot’s success…
Read More “More Sightings of “Bigfoot” (Well) in Belmont County, OH”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

The Secret of Rice Energy’s Success with the Utica Bigfoot Well
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Rice Energy’s young CEO Dan Rice IV addressed the DUG East conference last week in Pittsburgh. Dan said while he can’t categorically say that Rice drills faster/cheaper/better wells than the competition, he did offer up his company’s secret to success in drilling the single most productive well (so far) to be drilled in the Utica. And it was their very first Utica well!

And what, exactly, is that secret?…
Read More “The Secret of Rice Energy’s Success with the Utica Bigfoot Well”
Belmont County | EMG | Energy Services | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | M&A | MarkWest Energy | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Summit Midstream

Summit Midstream Cuts $377M Check for 40% of Ohio Gathering
June 4, 2014June 4, 2014

Ohio Gathering is a midstream (pipelines and processing plants) company operating in the southeastern Ohio area–Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, Noble and Monroe counties. It is a joint venture owned by MarkWest, EMG and until recently, Gulfport Energy. In January MDN told you that Summit Midstream would be buying Gulfport’s 40% ownership interest (see Summit Midstream Closes Deal to Buy 40% Stake in Ohio Gathering). These things take time with lots of lawyers and due dillgence and enough paperwork to re-paper the walls in a dozen homes. The paperwork is done and Summit has cut the check–a $377 million check that will go into the bank account of MarkWest and EMG…
Read More “Summit Midstream Cuts $377M Check for 40% of Ohio Gathering”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Rice Energy’s Bigfoot New Reigning Utica Well Champ – 42 Mmcf/d!
June 3, 2014June 3, 2014

Rice Energy’s corny well names have, in this case, turned into a self-fulling prophecy. Rice announced yesterday that their first Utica Shale well–the Bigfoot 9H in Belmont County–is producing an initial 41.69 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. That production places the Bigfoot on top of the heap as the most productive Utica well so far–flying by Antero Resources’ Yontz well (see Antero Resources Utica Well Produces Stratospheric 38.9 Mmcf/d). In addition to this huge news, Rice also announced they’ve increased their line of credit and they’ve lined up more pipeline capacity for their Utica Shale gas…
Read More “Rice Energy’s Bigfoot New Reigning Utica Well Champ – 42 Mmcf/d!”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Hess | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Ohio | Utica Shale

Hess Wins Case Against One OH Landowner, Settles with Others
June 2, 2014June 2, 2014

Last October MDN told you about a court case that Hess lost in a lower Ohio court. Hess promised to “vigorously challenge” the decision and appeal it to a higher court (see Hess Will Challenge OH Court Decision to End Lease). The crux of the case: Hess purchased leases from Mason Dixon Energy and didn’t live up to the terms of the lease–they didn’t drill within five years and didn’t make an extra payment–then tried to make up for it at the last minute with payments to extend the leases. Three landowners won that original case, but on appeal, Hess has won against one of the landowners and it appears Hess is ready to settle with the other 300 or so landowners in the area that are affected…
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Belmont County | Energy Companies | Hess | Ohio

Hess Drill Rig Ruins View for Warnock Cemetery’s Dead Residents
May 29, 2014May 29, 2014

There goes the neighborhood. Back in December MDN told you that Hess had the unmitigated gall to drill a Utica well next door to a cemetery in Belmont County, OH (see Hess Has Gall to Drill Utica Well Next Door to a Cemetery in OH). The dead folks and those visiting them have reason to complain–a “huge” drilling rig has sprouted next to the cemetery, ruining their view…
Read More “Hess Drill Rig Ruins View for Warnock Cemetery’s Dead Residents”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Monroe County | Ohio

Kudos: Gulfport Energy Donates $400K to OH Non-Profits
May 28, 2014May 28, 2014

Gulfport Energy has just done a very nice thing for the residents of eastern Ohio. Last Thursday Gulfport’s CEO Michael Moore was on hand in Cambridge (Guernsey County), OH to bestow a $400,000 gift to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. The gift is called the Gulfport Energy Fund and will be used for non-profits and educational institutions in those communities where Gulfport is actively drilling: Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, or Monroe counties…
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Belmont County | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Ohio | Statewide OH

ODNR Allows Drill Cuttings to be Used for Construction, Roads
May 23, 2014May 23, 2014

An interesting juxtaposition for MDN. We reported in a story today that PIOGA has put out a plea for drill cutting samples so they can perform a study that will prove to the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) that drill cuttings are not radioactive or laced with chemicals and that it’s safe to recycle them for use in things like fill for construction sites–and even road work. Recycling is good! The juxtaposition is Ohio, where the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) already allows the use of drill cuttings for such purposes–with a permit of course…
Read More “ODNR Allows Drill Cuttings to be Used for Construction, Roads”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Ohio | Rice Energy | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Gulfport Energy 1Q14: New CEO Tweaking the Utica Program
May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Gulfport Energy is a major driller in the Utica Shale. In a first quarter 2014 update released earlier this week, we learn that Gulfport has added more acreage to their Utica portfolio–they now stand at 180,000 acres of leased land. Although several other drillers own more acreage, Gulfport has drilled the second highest number of Utica wells to date. They currently are operating seven drilling rigs in the Utica Shale. Gulfport’s brand new CEO, Michael Moore, makes the comment that, “a more measured, methodical approach to the development program in the Utica was needed.” We’re not exactly sure what that means, but Moore intends it to mean they’ll get more gas and liquids from the Utica wells their drilling.

Below are a few brief sections from the 1Q14 update. We also found and posted Gulfport’s PowerPoint used during their recent analyst call. There’s an extensive section on their Utica operations with lots of maps and charts and good information. Among the gems we discovered is that in 2013 Gulfport and Rice Energy formed a joint venture, combining their acreage in four townships in Belmont County, OH to drill in the Utica together in that area…

NOTE: MDN originally said the Gulfport/Rice jv is for Guernsey County, OH. We were mistaken. It is in Belmont County, OH. Our apologies!
Read More “Gulfport Energy 1Q14: New CEO Tweaking the Utica Program”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Research

New Research Project Samples Water Wells in E Ohio Near Fracking
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are looking for homeowners with private wells willing to have their wells sampled as part of ongoing research into the effects (or lack thereof) from nearby fracking. The idea is to do some real science for a change–that is, to take samples before drilling begins and then again during and after–to see if shale drilling has an effect on ground water supplies. What a brilliant concept! Real, in the field research and done before, during and after. Sharp folks at UC.

Here’s the details from the UC on what they play to do, and how to contact them if you live in Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Belmont, Noble, or Guernsey counties in Ohio…
Read More “New Research Project Samples Water Wells in E Ohio Near Fracking”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Belmont County Shopping New Deal to Lease Additional 426 Acres
April 30, 2014April 30, 2014

Belmont County, OH commissioners like the $3 million check they just got from Rice Energy for leasing 406 acres of county-owned land (see Belmont County, OH Waiting for $3M Lease Check from Rice Energy). That’s $7,500 per acre for a signing bonus! Commissioners with Belmont like that gas money so much, they’re now looking to lease another 426 acres–at an even higher price. Oy vey!

The announcement about Belmont shopping for another lease deal came at a meeting last week…
Read More “Belmont County Shopping New Deal to Lease Additional 426 Acres”
Antero Resources | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Antero Pays $15K/Acre, 20% Royalties for MWCD Piedmont Lake Lease
April 21, 2014April 21, 2014

All’s we can say is “WOW!” Last Friday the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) signed another (new) lease with Antero Resources to lease more than 6,300 acres in and around Piedmont Lake, in Guernsey, Harrison and Belmont counties in Ohio. The land is in prime Utica Shale territory and Antero must have wanted it bad, because they paid a $15,000 per acre signing bonus. Plus 20% in royalties for anything produced from the land. That is, by far, the largest bonus payment we have ever heard of in the Marcellus and Utica region.

Landowners in the MWCD area should be thankful. Because of this deal and other leases signed by the MWCD, the rates landowners pay to the MWCD are going down–by 50%–starting next year. What a fantastic story where everyone wins. Landowners win with lower watershed fees, Antero wins by scoring what will no doubt be very productive property for shale wells, America wins with more (and cheaper) natural gas. There are no losers in this scenario. Here’s more on Friday’s meeting of the MWCD board and the decisions they made…
Read More “Antero Pays $15K/Acre, 20% Royalties for MWCD Piedmont Lake Lease”