Belmont County

Belmont County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

MWCD Open House on Leasing Piedmont Lake Property for Drilling
January 8, 2014January 8, 2014

Oh, we love it! The Muskigum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has definitely seen the light. Although they were scared off from allowing shale drilling on Watershed-owned property early on, the board came around and eventually saw the light. Now they can’t get enough of shale drilling! They’re leasing MWCD-owned land for shale drilling, and they’re selling water to drillers–in many instances to frack wells being drilled on MWCD land. Beautiful!

The MWCD announced yesterday that so many drillers are knocking on their door to lease MWCD land in and around Piedmont Lake (in Belmont, Guernsey and Harrison counties) for Utica Shale drilling, they will have a public open house next week to discuss it. The MWCD owns some 6,600 acres around Piedmont Lake–and leases in that area have seen some of the highest signing bonuses and royalties in the entire northeast. We’re talking serious money (many many millions) for the MWCD if they lease that land for Utica Shale drilling…
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Belmont County | Energy Companies | Hess | Ohio | Utica Shale

Hess Has Gall to Drill Utica Well Next Door to a Cemetery in OH
December 23, 2013December 24, 2013

We just have to bring you a story so…important…we’re…outta…breath…to…tell…you. The evil drillers at Hess–drilling in Belmont County, OH (one of the best places to drill on the planet)–have the gall, the temerity, the reckless disregard to drill a Utica Shale well right next to a cemetery! I mean, don’t they know they may disturb the dead? Don’t they know that for a full 30 days or so their drilling will ruin the view from some of those graves in that cemetery. The nerve!

Never mind the same area where Hess is drilling was mined for coal in the 1970s and 80s, a much more destructive process with years of eyesores. Hey, that was then and this is now. And don’t tell anyone (double-swear promise?)–but the cemetery has leased their 2.2 acres to Hess too–so the Hess well is going to go underneath the cemetery. Yes it’s nearly two miles down, but you know, (*whispering*) ghosts live down there. Here’s arguably one of the most important stories we’ll bring you (in the next 5 seconds)…
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Belmont County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Lease May Pull OH Volunteer Fire Dept from Bankruptcy
December 10, 2013December 10, 2013

We’re not sure of the circumstances that led the Neffs (Belmont County), OH Volunteer Fire Department to go more than $1 million in the hole–but that’s where they are. The miracle that may lift them out of bankruptcy and put them back on firm financial footing is the Utica Shale. Specifically, the opportunity to lease fire department-owned land for Utica Shale drilling.

The interesting (to MDN) aspect of this story is the very generous terms Neffs VFD is getting for the lease of 56.4 acres…
Read More “Utica Shale Lease May Pull OH Volunteer Fire Dept from Bankruptcy”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Belmont County, OH Waiting for $3M Lease Check from Rice Energy
December 10, 2013December 10, 2013

In early October MDN told you Rice Energy had cut a deal with Belmont County to pay the county a $7,500 per acre signing bonus, more than the $5,900 per acre it promised to private landowners in the area (see Rice Pays Belmont County Higher Signing Bonus than Landowners). The lower per acre no doubt rankled some landowners–but many of them already have their money. So far, the county does not.

When will Belmont County get its $3 million check from Rice Energy? Because they really need it…
Read More “Belmont County, OH Waiting for $3M Lease Check from Rice Energy”
Belmont County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

OH’s Largest School District Gets $1M+ from Lease Bonuses
November 27, 2013November 27, 2013

Ohio’s largest school district (geographically speaking), the Switzerland of Ohio Local Schools in eastern Ohio, has raked in over $1 million so far from Marcellus/Utica Shale drilling deals. It’s located in some of the best drilling spots in the Ohio Utica (Monroe/Belmont/Noble counties). Even so, the school is headed for “devastating cuts” according to the school treasurer, due to a collapse in enrollment over the last 20 years.

The money received so far from shale deals is from lease payments, not royalties. Will the school district go on over the fiscal cliff? Or will shale royalties come along in time to save the day? School officials are not sure…
Read More “OH’s Largest School District Gets $1M+ from Lease Bonuses”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Jefferson County (OH) | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale

OH Utica Drilling Shifting from North to South, Gradually
November 18, 2013November 18, 2013

Although the Ohio Utica Shale is still in its relative infancy (very early days yet) when it comes to figuring out where the best places to drill are located, the “sweet spot” is ever-so-gradually taking shape. Early on Chesapeake Energy guessed it was in the northern counties of eastern Ohio–particularly in Carroll and Columbiana counties. But in December 2012 they admitted they got it wrong (see Chesapeake Admits Misjudging Ohio Utica Sweet Spot). Gulfport seems to have dialed in on one of the more productive locations in the Utica–in Belmont and Harrison counties (see Gulfport’s New Record-Breaking Well in Belmont Cnty – 30.3 Mmcf/d).

In fact, Belmont County now has 50 permits to drill. That may seem small compared to 339 permits in Carroll County, but as we said, ever-so-gradually the focus on drilling seems to be shifting south in Ohio. An update…
Read More “OH Utica Drilling Shifting from North to South, Gradually”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Economic Impact | Housing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Stark County | Utica Shale

OH Utica Shale Gives Rise to Crop of New Hotels
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

It seems as if new hotels are springing up all over the Utica Shale in eastern Ohio. The latest announcement: A New York City asset management firm says they’ll spend $5.2 million to build an 83-room hotel in…Carrollton, OH. Where? Exactly. Carrollton isn’t even a city–it’s a village, population 3,200, and it’s in Carroll County–in the middle of nowhere. But Carrollton also happens to be in the middle of one of the hot spots of the Utica Shale. And this hotel isn’t the only new hotel going up in Carrollton! A second hotel is already under construction in Carrollton–for $13.3 million (100 rooms).

Here’s the low-down on the new Carrollton hotel, and several other recently announced hotel projects in eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale region:
Read More “OH Utica Shale Gives Rise to Crop of New Hotels”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Ohio | Utica Shale

Gulfport’s New Record-Breaking Well in Belmont Cnty – 30.3 Mmcf/d
November 6, 2013November 6, 2013

Gulfport Energy, the #2 driller in the Ohio Utica Shale behind Chesapeake Energy, has drilled some of the most prolific wells in the Utica (see Gulfport’s New Utica Well Produces Mind-blowing 28.5 Mmcf/d!). According to Gulfport CEO James Palm on an investor call yesterday, the company continues their winning streak and has just bested their own record. Gulfport’s Irons 1-H well in Belmont County (Washington Township) is now officially their highest producing single gas well with an initial production (IP) of 30.3 million cubic feet of natural gas per day! These are astonishing numbers.

In a phone call with analysts to discuss 3Q13 results, Palm had the following to say:
Read More “Gulfport’s New Record-Breaking Well in Belmont Cnty – 30.3 Mmcf/d”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Rice Pays Belmont County Higher Signing Bonus than Landowners
October 2, 2013October 2, 2013

Rice Drilling is betting big on Belmont County, OH. County commissioners recently signed a sweet deal with Rice Drilling for 406 acres of county-owned land. The lease terms were $7,500 per acre signing bonus and a 20% royalty. That delivers just over $3 million to the county coffers, plus a lot more when the gas begins to flow.

The county deal is, however, sweeter than other recent contracts signed by Rice in the area–contracts between Rice and more than 1,000 landowners in Belmont County. Those leases resulted in payments from Rice for more than $236 million! But area landowners got “just” $5,900 per acre from Rice for a signing bonus…
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Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Ohio | Utica Shale

Delayed Pipeline to Single Gulfport Utica Well Impacts Market
September 11, 2013September 11, 2013

Can delays in building a pipeline to a single Utica Shale well be enough to affect the stock price of the driller? You bet it can. Analysts from Sterne Agee issued revised estimates of how much production Gulfport Energy will see in the third quarter of this year based on Gulfport’s pre-announcement to the markets yesterday that they’ve had to lower their own estimates of production in 3Q13–because of a delay in hooking up the Irons 1-4H Utica Shale well in Belmont County, OH.

To be fair, Gulfport’s stock price only slipped a little bit on yesterday’s news (down less than 1/2 of one percent), and Sterne Agee remains bullish on the stock. Still, it’s incredible to us that the scheduling of a pipeline hookup for a single well can create such an impact on a multi-billion dollar energy company…
Read More “Delayed Pipeline to Single Gulfport Utica Well Impacts Market”
Accidents | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH

Gulfport Pays $250K Fine for Leaky Pad Liners at 7 OH Utica Sites
September 11, 2013September 11, 2013

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) investigated Gulfport’s shale drilling sites in eastern Ohio after an inspector found ground contamination at a Harrison County well. ODNR found evidence of brine–naturally occurring underground water that comes to the surface after drilling is done–escaping from (leaking from) the well–which is not supposed to happen. Each well pad has a big rubber pad liner that’s supposed to catch anything that happens to leak. Gulfport’s pad liners did not do the job.

In addition to a $250,000 fine, Gulfport has to rebuild each of the seven drill pads where there are defective liners before they can continue drilling at those locations…
Read More “Gulfport Pays $250K Fine for Leaky Pad Liners at 7 OH Utica Sites”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Harrison County | Hess | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Pipelines | PVR Midstream | PVR Partners | Utica Shale

PVR Partners to Build $150M Utica Shale Pipeline System for Hess
September 3, 2013September 3, 2013

Midstream company PVR Partners has been selected by Hess to construct 45 miles of gathering pipelines in eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale region. In an announcement issued today, PVR said the new pipelines will be built to cover Belmont, Jefferson and Harrison Counties where Hess holds a substantial acreage position. The new pipeline project will end up costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $125-$150 million and will be completed in 2015.

The PVR announcement:
Read More “PVR Partners to Build $150M Utica Shale Pipeline System for Hess”
Belmont County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Seismic Testing | Utica Shale

Belmont County, OH Seismic Charges: Trespass or Honest Mistake?
September 3, 2013September 3, 2013

Sandy Putorek, who lives in Pittsburgh but owns a 30-acre farm in Lansing (Belmont County), OH, is anti-drilling. It is her American right to refuse what she claims are many offers to lease her property for Utica Shale drilling. It is also her right (so long as she owns the mineral rights) to refuse seismic testing on her property. However, while recently visiting her land she noticed tracks across her property. When she followed them, she had a surprise: someone had installed small explosive charges used for seismic testing–without her permission. Now Sandy is (understandably) fighting mad.

The company that installed the charges is removing them, claiming bad maps from the county led to the charges being mistakenly placed on Sandy’s land…
Read More “Belmont County, OH Seismic Charges: Trespass or Honest Mistake?”
Belmont County | Education | Energy Companies | Hess | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio

Hess Sets Up Scholarship Program at Belmont College
August 19, 2013August 19, 2013

Utica driller Hess Corporation and Belmont College (St. Clairsville, OH) announced last Friday that Hess has established a scholarship program that will make “multiple awards” of scholarships of up to $3,000 per student per year at Belmont. Students may be enrolled in either full- or part-time programs working on either an associates degree or a certificate.

The aim of the program is to help train non-traditional students–those out of work and downsized from a previous job. The awards are not just for those seeking energy-related jobs either…
Read More “Hess Sets Up Scholarship Program at Belmont College”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Hess | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Hess Drills 10 Wells in OH Utica Shale in 2Q13
August 1, 2013August 1, 2013

As part of their 2Q13 update, Hess reports the following details about their Utica Shale drilling program in Ohio for the past three month period:
Read More “Hess Drills 10 Wells in OH Utica Shale in 2Q13”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Gulfport 2Q13: Oil Production Down, NatGas & NGLs Way Up
July 24, 2013

Gulfport Energy issued its second quarter 2013 operations update yesterday. Among the highlights: The company produced less oil than a year ago after selling off its Permian wells and acreage to Diamondback, but they saw a dramatic increase in production of natural gas and natural gas liquids from a year ago. Gulfport’s natgas production was up 6.5X and liquids production more than doubled–up 2.3X from last year. The company also said they increased their Utica Shale acreage by an additional 8,000 acres–they now own 145,000 leased Utica acres.

Also in the update are production numbers for a series of new wells recently brought online–the McCort wells in Belmont County (Somerset Township), OH. The full 2Q13 Gulfport update:
Read More “Gulfport 2Q13: Oil Production Down, NatGas & NGLs Way Up”