Harrison County

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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”
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”
Antero Resources | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

MWCD Close to Signing Utica Lease for Piedmont Lake, OH Property
March 26, 2014March 26, 2014

In early January MDN brought you the delicious news that the Muskigum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) is planning to lease a large tract of District-owned land in and around Piedmont Lake (in Belmont, Guernsey and Harrison counties) for Utica Shale drilling (see MWCD Open House on Leasing Piedmont Lake Property for Drilling). The original 6,600 acres has now turned into 6,700 acres and the lessor will be Antero Resources, according to an announcement issued by the MWCD last Friday.

According to the MWCD board, they will likely vote on the lease at their next meeting scheduled for April 18. An update on the Piedmont Lake lease from the MWCD is below, along with the draft copy of the lease from Antero. Noticeably missing from the draft lease are the terms…
Read More “MWCD Close to Signing Utica Lease for Piedmont Lake, OH Property”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Company Targets OH Landowners – Buy Future Royalties for Cash Now
March 26, 2014March 26, 2014

Gateway Royalty is back and has $58.5 million on the bank they can’t wait to give landowners in the Ohio Utica Shale in return for future royalty payments. MDN told you about Gateway last summer. They were the company that the town of Carrollton, OH sold 1/4 of their royalty rights to (see OH Town Votes to Give Up 1/4 Royalties for Cash Payment Now). The way it works, in brief: Gateway pays landowners a lump sum now in return for the right to receive that landowner’s future royalty payments for years to come. You (the landowner) get your money now, they (Gateway) get the money you would have gotten dribbled out over time. Of course the money you receive now is discounted and in all likelihood far less than you would have gotten if you had waited just a few years (the bulk of royalty payments come in the first four years). It’s a bit of a gamble by both parties because no one really knows how much a well will produce.

Still, there are reasons why someone may want to get cash up front–pay off debt, ill health, etc. So in that vein, we bring you the latest press release from Gateway announcing they are ready, willing and waiting to give Ohio Utica Shale landowners money now. Specifically they are targeting landowners in Washington, Noble, Guernsey, Monroe, Belmont, Harrison, Carroll and Columbiana counties…
Read More “Company Targets OH Landowners – Buy Future Royalties for Cash Now”
Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Cadiz, OH Considers Offer to “Flip” Royalty Rights for $11K/Acre
February 6, 2014February 6, 2014

This story is almost a month old, but somehow it missed our otherwise good radar. It involves landowners who want to sell their already-leased acreage royalty rights to investors–“flipping” the rights to royalties they may or may not get at some future point for money on the barrel head now. In this case, the landowner considering doing the flipping is the Village of Cadiz (Harrison County), OH, and the company that wants to buy their royalty rights is Flatiron Financial. Flatiron, you may recall, recently purchased a bunch of leases from some of Ohio’s Amish farmers (see OH Amish Flip Royalty Rights for Tax-Free Lump Sum Payment). Seems the flipping business is good and Flatiron is turning on the pressure in Cadiz, telling village officials they don’t have long to make a decision. The hand is slowly leaving the table…better act now! Right.

So what is Flatiron offering? Cash now for potential future royalties–and the cash is on the order of $11,000-$12,000 per acre. Note: This is not a one-time lease payment, it is signing over all future royalties (for decades to come) for a lump sum payment now. It becomes a game of poker, estimating your odds of whether you’ll get more “down the road” if you wait for monthly or quarterly royalty checks, or just take it all now–“bird in the hand” thinking. Tough call. What will the village leaders do? The clock is ticking…
Read More “Cadiz, OH Considers Offer to “Flip” Royalty Rights for $11K/Acre”
Belmont County | Harrison County | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale

OH’s Biggest Producing Utica Counties: Belmont, Monroe, Harrison
January 8, 2014January 8, 2014

More analysis of the recent third quarter 2013 Utica Shale production report released on Dec. 31 by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, including which counties had the best production in 3Q13:
Read More “OH’s Biggest Producing Utica Counties: Belmont, Monroe, Harrison”
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…
Read More “MWCD Open House on Leasing Piedmont Lake Property for Drilling”
Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Ohio | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

OH Utica Condensate Processing on the Way from MarkWest/EMG
December 20, 2013December 20, 2013

MarkWest Energy Partners and the Energy & Minerals Group (EMG) announced yesterday they have formed a joint venture to build a network of condensate processing facilities in eastern Ohio. The new venture will be called Ohio Condensate Company, LLC and it already has its first customer–Gulfport Energy. According to the announcement the jv is working on signing up more customers. The first project for the jv will be a new condensate stabilization facility with “associated logistics and storage terminal capabilities” to be constructed in Harrison County, OH. That facility is due to be in service by 3Q14.

The details as revealed by MarkWest & EMG yesterday:
Read More “OH Utica Condensate Processing on the Way from MarkWest/EMG”
Energy Services | Ethane | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | NGLs | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH

UTOPIA is Coming! The UTOPIA Pipeline, that is…
December 17, 2013December 17, 2013

Kinder Morgan announced yesterday a plan to build a new 210-mile natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline that will connect multiple fractionation facilities in Harrison County, OH, to Riga, MI. From Riga, the NGLs will hitch a ride via the KM Cochin Pipeline east to Windsor, Ontario, Canada where they will be delivered to NOVA Chemicals. The new $300 million, 10-inch pipeline from OH to MI has been cleverly named Utica To Ontario Pipeline Access (UTOPIA). The NGLs that will flow through the pipeline will already be refined (“fractionated” or separated) and will include ethane and propane.

Here’s Kinder Morgan’s good news announcement that UTOPIA is coming:
Read More “UTOPIA is Coming! The UTOPIA Pipeline, that is…”
Carroll County | Economic Impact | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Meet Ohio’s New Utica Millionaires – Hundreds of Them
December 2, 2013December 2, 2013

As part of a story about the Morgan County (OH) Landowner Group, or MCLG (see our companion story today), near the end of the story we get this short mention which, although an “off-hand” comment, comes as a startling thunderclap to MDN about the sheer number of millionaires created by the Utica Shale (i.e. “shaleonaires”):
Read More “Meet Ohio’s New Utica Millionaires – Hundreds of Them”
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”
Access Midstream Partners | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EnerVest | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Ohio | Processing Plants | Utica East Ohio Midstream | Utica Shale

Gov. Kasich “Turns the Valves” at Scio Fractionation Plant
October 30, 2013October 30, 2013

MDN told you that Ohio Gov. John Kasich went foreigner-hunting on Monday and was glad to find no “foreigners” (i.e. out-of-state workers) lurking around the Hickory Bend processing plant in Mahoning County that he was visiting for a dedication ceremony (see OH Gov. Kasich Dedicates Hickory Bend Plant, No Foreigners Found). While he was in the general neighborhood, Gov. Kasich also slipped over to Harrison County on Monday to check out the Scio fractionation plant (now being called the Harrison Hub), to see if there were any foreigners hiding there. Nope! A banner day for Gov. Kasich!

The Scio plant, built by the Utica East Ohio Buckeye joint venture (M3 Midstream, Access Midstream and EnerVest) held a “turn the valves” dedication on Monday to take advantage of Kasich being in the area. Phase 2 of the plant went online in July adding an additional 45,000 barrels per day of NGL processing capacity. Phase 3 is now being build and due to go online in early 2014. Highlights from the Kasich visit and more details about the plant from UEO officials…
Read More “Gov. Kasich “Turns the Valves” at Scio Fractionation Plant”
Energy Companies | Harrison County | Hess | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Harrison County: Busy Courthouse, Road Use & Lease Offer by Hess
October 28, 2013October 28, 2013

What’s going on in Harrison County, OH? When it comes to oil and gas drilling in the Utica Shale, quite a lot, including: a congested courthouse (where land records are kept); proposed road use agreements from Chesapeake Energy; and a plum offer by Hess for 21.7 acres west of the Harrison County Airport.

The details…
Read More “Harrison County: Busy Courthouse, Road Use & Lease Offer by Hess”
American Energy Utica | Energy Companies | EnerVest | Harrison County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

It ain’t much land, but it is notable nonetheless for the clue it provides. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has approved the re-assignment of mineral rights for 133 acres at the Clendening Reservoir in Harrison County, OH to American Energy Utica, Aubrey McClendon’s new company.

It gives us a continuing look at just where in the Utica Aubrey is concentrating his $1.7 billion worth of efforts…
Read More “Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases”
Atlas Energy | Blue Racer Midstream | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Harrison County | Lycoming County | Marshall County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | West Virginia

Atlas Update: Finding Alternatives to Blue Racer Natrium Plant
October 17, 2013October 17, 2013

Atlas Resource Partners (ARP), a driller working in several plays–including the Marcellus and the Utica–issued a financial and operations update yesterday. Included in the update are details of Atlas’ recent activities in the northeast–number of wells drilled, etc. Pretty standard stuff–the “normal” kind of periodic press release issued by drillers, except…

It’s interesting to MDN that in Atlas’ update they mention, rather prominently, the ongoing issue that Blue Racer Midstream’s Natrium processing plant has been shut down since an explosion and fire occurred on Sept. 21st (see Natrium, WV Fractionation Plant Still Closed After Explosion/Fire). The shut-down is having a significant negative affect on Atlas’ ability to get gas to market. So Atlas, like other drillers in the Ohio Valley area, is seeking alternative sources to process their gas. They’ve located a partial solution and continue to look.

Blue Racer has a growing problem on their hands with the continued shut-down of Natrium if their customers continue to find other solutions…
Read More “Atlas Update: Finding Alternatives to Blue Racer Natrium Plant”
CBM Ohio | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Harrison County, OH Leases 357 Acres to CBM Ohio for $5K/19%
October 11, 2013October 11, 2013

CBM Ohio, a company that until now has concentrated on producing coalbed methane (hence the name), is venturing into producing natural gas from the Utica Shale.

CBM’s first Utica foray comes in leasing 357 acres of county-owned land in Harrison County, OH. On Wednesday, Harrison County officials signed a lease with CBM for $5,000 per acre signing bonus and 19% royalties…
Read More “Harrison County, OH Leases 357 Acres to CBM Ohio for $5K/19%”