Ohio

Columbiana County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marathon Petroleum | Ohio | Trucking

Columbiana Port Authority Close to Final Deal with Marathon
January 22, 2013January 22, 2013

Back in July MDN told you about a deal the Columbiana County Port Authority hoped to do with Marathon Petroleum to sell Marathon 3.6 acres in along the riverfront in Wellsville, OH so they can build a transfer station (truck terminal) to accept natural gas liquids and oil from local shale drilling by truck and, load it onto barges which would then float downriver for refining (see Columbiana Port Authority Helps Shale Industry).

Two actions taken on Monday by the Port Authority significantly advanced the ball down the field toward making the deal a reality:

Read More “Columbiana Port Authority Close to Final Deal with Marathon”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Noble County | Ohio

OH Muskingum Watershed District to Sign Drilling Lease in Feb.
January 21, 2013January 21, 2013

Last November, MDN told you that the Ohio Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), the largest watershed district in the state covering about 20% of Ohio’s landmass, had entered negotiations with Antero Resources to allow drilling and fracking under MWCD land around Seneca Lake (see OH Muskingum Watershed District Seeks Lease with Antero). Everything but the final price is now done, and the proposed lease (copy embedded below) will be voted on at the next board meeting of the MWCD on Feb. 15.

The lease, as written, will allow drilling under but not on 6,700 acres of property in Guernsey and Noble counties. Antero will have to drill from adjacent properties to reach the land—no disturbance of the surface will be permitted. How much will the MWCD get for a signing bonus and royalties?

Read More “OH Muskingum Watershed District to Sign Drilling Lease in Feb.”
Carrizo Oil & Gas | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EV Energy Partners | Gulfport Energy | Hess | MarkWest Energy | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

More than $1.2B & Counting on New Utica Drilling for 2013
January 21, 2013January 21, 2013

So far, more than $1.2 billion (that we know of) has been budgeted by Ohio’s Utica Shale drillers for 2013. A whopping $7 billion has been allocated for pipelines and processing plants over the next several years.

Here’s a quick rundown on the plans for a few of the Utica’s major drillers and what they plan to spend on drilling in the Utica in 2013:

Read More “More than $1.2B & Counting on New Utica Drilling for 2013”
BP | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Trumbull County

BP Cancels Deal for 7% of ALOV Leases in Trumbull County, OH
January 18, 2013January 18, 2013

In March 2012, BP signed a huge deal with landowners belonging to the Associated Landowners of the Ohio Valley (ALOV) group to lease 84,000 acres in Trumbull County, OH (see BP’s Big Utica Shale Deal, Leases 84K Acres in Ohio). The terms of that deal were $3,900 per acre as a signing bonus and 17.5% in royalties. Very sweet indeed.

Part of the process when signing a lease deal is “due diligence” in researching property deeds to be sure the driller will have a clear right to drill on or under the property. About 180 landowners with a collective 4,203 acres didn’t make the cut for the ALOV deal, and their contracts, according to the terms of the lease, were “released” this week by BP:

Read More “BP Cancels Deal for 7% of ALOV Leases in Trumbull County, OH”
Devon Energy | Energy Companies | Knox County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Devon Energy Plugs Third Utica Well, Changes Strategy
January 18, 2013January 18, 2013

Devon Energy, recently named by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in the U.S., has just plugged a third Utica Shale well in Ohio and is signaling a major change in strategy. They no longer plan to drill for natural gas in the Utica and will instead concentrate 100% of their time (and money) on drilling for oil.

A few weeks ago MDN told you about two Ohio Utica wells plugged and “abandoned” by Devon, one in Medina County and the other in Ashland County where they found disappointing results (see Flip Side: Some OH Utica Shale Wells Get Plugged/Abandoned). The third Utica well to be plugged and abandoned by Devon is located, ironically, in Utica, Ohio (Knox County):

Read More “Devon Energy Plugs Third Utica Well, Changes Strategy”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Another Milestone for Ohio: 500 Utica Shale Well Permits
January 18, 2013January 18, 2013

One Rubicon was passed just a few weeks ago when Ohio had officially drilled more than 200 Utica Shale wells (see Ohio Passes 200 Drilled Utica Shale Wells, New Permits Keep Coming).

Another Rubicon is about to pass: Ohio had officially approved 498 Utica Shale drilling permits as of Jan. 12, so by now, Ohio has gone over the 500-mark.

Read More “Another Milestone for Ohio: 500 Utica Shale Well Permits”
Accidents | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio

Chesapeake Well Pad Likely Source of Water “Contamination” in OH
January 17, 2013January 17, 2013

One of the charges leveled against shale drilling by anti-drillers is that chemicals used during drilling—in greatly diluted quantities—will somehow rise up from a mile or more below the surface and contaminate groundwater sources like water wells and springs. However, in over 50,000 horizontally drilled and fracked shale oil and gas wells across the country, and in over two million vertically fracked wells, groundwater contamination from deep drilling has never happened. Nada. Not once.

That’s not to say activities related to drilling have not affected (i.e., “contaminated”) groundwater supplies. Groundwater is affected from time to time, but it’s rare and when it happens, it’s fixable. Case in point: Harrison County, Ohio. Limestone used in a drill pad constructed by Chesapeake Energy at their Dodson well site is likely the cause of discolored (“contaminated”) storm water discharging into a local stream and lake, the source of water for some area residents…

Read More “Chesapeake Well Pad Likely Source of Water “Contamination” in OH”
Antero Resources | Chesapeake Energy | CNX Resources | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Hess | Hilcorp Energy | Ohio | Statewide OH

ODNR Issues 17 New Permits for Utica Drilling…Last Week
January 16, 2013January 16, 2013

The permits to allow Utica Shale drilling in eastern Ohio continue to roll out from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR). Here are the details on the 17 new permits issued in Ohio last week:

Read More “ODNR Issues 17 New Permits for Utica Drilling…Last Week”
Carrizo Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Noble County | Ohio | Tuscarawas County | Utica Shale

Carrizo’s 2013 Plans: Drill in Marcellus, Buy Acreage in Utica
January 15, 2013January 15, 2013

Carrizo Oil & Gas announced their 2013 spending plans today. Drilling activities will see a $500 million investment by Carrizo, with $70 million of that allocated to drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Also, Carrizo announced that yesterday they closed on an option to pick up more acreage from Avista Capital in the Ohio Utica Shale for $63 million.

The Utica deal means Carrizo now owns 14,000 net acres located in Guernsey, Noble and Tuscarawas counties in Ohio—although they’ve not allocated money to drill in the Utica for 2013.

Read More “Carrizo’s 2013 Plans: Drill in Marcellus, Buy Acreage in Utica”
Accidents | Cuyahoga County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mountaineer Keystone | Ohio

Methane Migration into Water Well Near Cleveland, OH
January 14, 2013January 14, 2013

It seems possible, and from the reporting, even likely, that shale gas drilling (and fracking) has caused methane migration and “contamination” of a water well for a family that lives outside Cleveland, OH.

Below is the story as reported by the Washington Examiner. The family’s water was tested before drilling was begun by Mountaineer Keystone and there was methane present in the water, but at the safe level of 9 parts per million. Now, after nearby drilling? There’s 22 PPM in their water, and they can (yes) light their faucets on fire, just like in the notoriously inaccurate movie Gasland…

Read More “Methane Migration into Water Well Near Cleveland, OH”
Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Roads | Trucking

OH Congressman “Tickled” by Road Improvements from Shale Drillers
January 14, 2013January 14, 2013

Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson (Republican, 6th District) visited Jefferson County, OH last Thursday to get an update on the impacts on area roadways from truck traffic related to Utica Shale drilling. Thousands of truck trips over rural roads take their toll.

So what did Congressman Johnson find? The roads are now in better shape than they were before drilling began:

Read More “OH Congressman “Tickled” by Road Improvements from Shale Drillers”
Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Drilling Heats up in Middleton Twp, OH
January 14, 2013January 14, 2013

Utica Shale drilling is heating up in Middleton Township (Columbiana County), Ohio.

Here’s the details on the one Utica Shale well now drilled in Middleton, the four coming soon, and how much the town was paid by Chesapeake Energy to lease six acres of town land:

Read More “Utica Shale Drilling Heats up in Middleton Twp, OH”
Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Why More Ohioans Don’t Work in Utica Shale Industry? Drugs
January 11, 2013January 11, 2013

Er, um, we’re not exactly sure how to broach this delicate topic without offending a great many residents of Ohio, including Ohio Gov. John Kasich who keeps saying he doesn’t want “foreign” workers in Ohio’s oil and gas fields (meaning he wants Ohioans only, not workers from Texas and Oklahoma), but, well, Gov. Kasich? Maybe you don’t have more Ohioans working in those gas fields because 50-60% of the Ohioans applying for those jobs are druggies. Yeah, you read that right. Half or more are strung out on drugs—both illegal and/or prescription.

In a recent interview, the head of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program, Rhonda Reda, said that 50-60% of those applying for jobs in eastern Ohio’s shale industry are rejected because of the presence of illegal drugs or the “wrong” kind of prescription drugs (like Vicodin) found in the pee test. Note: we did not say half of all Ohioans use drugs! It’s half of all Ohioans applying for these jobs.

Read More “Why More Ohioans Don’t Work in Utica Shale Industry? Drugs”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Potpourri: from Names to Production to Multiple Wells
January 11, 2013January 11, 2013

Akron Beacon Journal reporter Bob Downing—in our opinion Bob is one of the best reporters covering the Utica Shale story in Ohio—brings us the following six “tidbits” that didn’t make it into a larger story he wrote looking back at 2012 and ahead to 2013 with respect to Utica Shale drilling.

There’s some interesting factoids below, along with MDN’s own (snarky) thoughts interspersed, including how one Ohio official wants to rename the Utica Shale! Forthwith:

Read More “Utica Shale Potpourri: from Names to Production to Multiple Wells”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Ohio Passes 200 Drilled Utica Shale Wells, New Permits Keep Coming
January 10, 2013January 10, 2013

Ohio has joined the “200 Club”. As of last week, more than 200 horizontal shale wells have now been drilled in the Utica Shale, according to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR). Of those 200+ wells drilled, 47 are currently producing.

Here’s where the drilling hot spots are located:

Read More “Ohio Passes 200 Drilled Utica Shale Wells, New Permits Keep Coming”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Ohio | Trumbull County | Utica Shale

Location of Second Halcon Utica Well in Trumbull County, OH
January 10, 2013January 10, 2013

Halcon Resources continues their rapid pace of new drilling in Trumbull County, Ohio. MDN recently told you that the very first horizontal Utica Shale well to be drilled in Trumbull is now under way by Halcon in Hartford township (see Trumbull County’s First Utica Shale Well Now in Process).

Looks like Lordstown will be the location for the second Trumbull County well to be drilled by Halcon. Here’s exactly where in Lordstown:

Read More “Location of Second Halcon Utica Well in Trumbull County, OH”