An update on the latest drilling permits (issued the past two weeks) for the Utica Shale in both western PA and eastern Ohio, by driller and county:
On the third quarter earnings call with analysts earlier this month, Chesapeake Energy officials were asked about the Utica Shale and their thoughts, now more than a year in, of how the Utica stacks up against the Eagle Ford, and how Chesapeake’s “core of the core” strategy is working in the Utica. Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon answered the question this way, identifying the three counties in Ohio that are “the core of the core” for the company:
Read More “Chesapeake Says 3 OH Counties are “Core of the Core” in Utica”
A recent shale gas conference held in Cambridge, Ohio on Nov. 10 turned up some surprising and interesting facts. One of those facts: Almost 100 percent of the land in Carroll County has been leased for possible Utica shale drilling, or is being held by production.
Here’s a few more interesting items from the conference, shared by a team from Ohio State University Extension (including where drilling is producing good results, and where it’s not):
Read More “The Best (and Not So Best) Utica Drilling Locations in Ohio”
On a conference call last week, Gulfport Energy’s CEO James Palm called the Utica Shale a “once-in-a-lifetime play … and a company changer.” He said the company plans to invest $225 million next year in Ohio’s Utica Shale to drill 50 new wells. The eventual goal? They plan to drill 400 Utica Shale wells in the next four years.
Read More “Gulfport CEO Says Company’s Future is the Utica Shale”
Ten new Utica Shale wells were approved by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) for the week covering Oct. 28 through Nov. 3. Here’s a breakdown on where the permits were issued:
Read More “10 New Utica Shale Permits Issued Last Week in Ohio”
On Monday MDN told you about Antero Resources’ sale of their Piceance Basin assets so they can laser focus on the Marcellus and Utica Shale region (see this MDN story). A day later—yesterday—Antero followed up that big announcement with another big announcement: They’ve signed a deal with MarkWest for pipelines and processing in Noble and Harrison counties (Ohio) to give Antero’s operations in the Ohio Utica Shale a boost. Interestingly, the Harrison County project will yield ethane that MarkWest/Antero will send to the new ATEX ethane pipeline that runs all the way to the Gulf.
Terms of the deal between Antero and MarkWest were not disclosed. Here’s the joint press release announcing the particulars of the deal:
Read More “Antero Resources Inks Deal with MarkWest for Ohio Utica Shale”
Gulfport Energy Corporation, a company that has two of the highest producing natural gas wells in the Ohio Utica Shale, released their third quarter financial and operational update yesterday. Counter to most other large drillers, Gulfport showed a slight profit in 3Q12—of $0.5 million—on $60.5 million in revenue. If not for some income tax expenses their net income for 3Q12 would have been $16 million.
In the 3Q12 update we get production details for a sixth horizontal well drilled by Gulfport in the Utica—the BK Stephens 1-16H well (in Harrison County, OH), which is producing an initial 1,224 barrels of condensate per day, 6.9 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, and 759 barrels of natural gas liquids per day.
Read More “Gulfport Energy 3Q12: Profits Up, Drilled 5 New Utica Wells”
Gulfport Energy is one of the few Marcellus and Utica Shale drillers who regularly reports on production results for its new wells (something we appreciate!). MDN told previously told you about Gulfport’s “King” of Utica wells, the Shugert 1-1H in Belmont County, Ohio, which produced 20 million cubic feet of natural per day, 144 barrels of condensate per day, and 2,002 barrels of natural gas liquids per day (see this MDN story).
Yesterday Gulfport released numbers for more new wells in Harrison and Guernsey counties in Ohio. Although the methane output of the wells is not spectacular, the condensate and natural gas liquids output is noteworthy. Here’s the latest report from Gulfport:
Read More “Gulfport Energy Releases New Production Numbers for OH Wells”
Yesterday Gulfport Energy Corporation reported astonishing production results for it’s Utica Shale well Shugert 1-1H (in the town of Kirkwood, Belmont County, Ohio). The well tested at an initial rate of 20 million cubic feet of natural gas per day (Mmcf/d). It also produced an initial 144 barrels of condensate per day, and 2,002 barrels of natural gas liquids per day.
Previously, MDN reported another Gulfport Utica well (the Wagner 1-H) had become the “alpha dog” by overtaking the famed Chesapeake Buell well—and the Wagner well was flowing at “just” 14 Mmcf/d and producing 1,881 barrels of NGLs (see this MDN story). What do we call this new well: The King? (We’re running out of metaphors!) The new Shugert 1-1H well by Gulfport is, to MDN’s knowledge, the single largest producing well in the Utica Shale.
Read More “New ‘King’ of Utica Wells? Gulfport Shugert Well @ 20 Mmcf/d”
The latest permits issued in Mahoning, Harrison, Portage and Monroe counties in Ohio:
Read More “ODNR Issues New Permits in Mahoning, Other OH Counties”
There’s been a change in position at the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), a large watershed located in Ohio. MDN reported earlier this year that the MWCD was making moves to sell water from some of it’s vast supply to Utica Shale drillers who have a number of active drilling rigs in the area. Almost as soon as the news was announced, however, the board of the MWCD issued a press release saying they would not sell any more water (other than a deal already done) until a comprehensive study was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey “later this year” on how such water sales might impact the watershed (see this MDN story for background).
The MWCD has reversed its decision (again). The USGS survey is not yet done, but the MWCD is now going to sell water to drillers—but only for a limited time. Here’s the details:
Read More “Muskingum Watershed Moves Forward with Water Sales to Drillers”
Gulfport yesterday reported initial peak results for its Utica Shale well called Boy Scout 1-33H, located in Deersville (Harrison County, OH). Although the flow rates are not as great as Gulport’s recently reported “alpha dog” well, the Wagner 1-H, also in Harrison County (see this MDN story), the new Boy Scout 1-33H is turning in respectable numbers:
Read More “Another Gulfport Utica Well in Harrison County Coming Online”
There’s a new “alpha dog” of Utica Shale wells in Ohio that’s upstaging Chesapeake Energy’s Buell well. The Gulfport Energy Wagner 1-28H well in Harrison County is producing an enormous amount of natural gas—record-breaking in fact.
Gulfport reports the Wagner well is “by far the strongest well” ever produced by Gulfport.
Read More “Gulfport’s “Alpha Dog” Utica Shale Well Upstages Chesapeake Well”
Chevron is set to begin drilling it’s very first Utica Shale well in September. The Kinsey well will be drilled near Tippecanoe, Ohio:
Read More “Chevron’s First Utica Shale Well Coming in September”
More jobs and more economic activity are on the way in eastern Ohio courtesy of Chesapeake Energy’s investments to build a new office complex near St. Clairsville (Belmont County) and their investment in a natural gas processing plant (Harrison/Columbiana counties). The new office complex is due to open in November while the processing plant is due to come online in 2013.
Read More “Chesapeake’s Construction Investment in Ohio Continues”
The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) is complaining that Dominion East Ohio is building a pipeline in Harrison County, Ohio using workers from West Virginia (two counties away).
Union members protested on Tuesday at a Dominion pipeline construction site in Stock Township. It wasn’t their first protest against “out of state workers.”
Read More “Union Protests Dominion Pipeline Work in Eastern Ohio”