Ohio

CNX Resources | Dominion Exploration | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Stark County

Landowners at 2nd OH Gas Storage Field Sue for Right to Drill
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

MDN previously told you about a lawsuit from landowners who sit atop the Brinker Gas Storage Field in Columbiana County, OH (see this MDN story). Columbia Gas Transmission owns the rights to the hollowed out cavern in the Berea Sandstone known as the Brinker field—a place where they store natural gas for later use. The question or issue is whether or not the landowners have the right to drill under the Brinker, in the Utica Shale, or whether that right belongs to Columbia.

Landowners atop another gas storage field, the North Canton Gas Storage Field in Stark County, OH, have now filed a lawsuit for the same reason. In North Canton the storage field is leased by Dominion East Ohio (a division of Dominion) and CNX Gas (a division of CONSOL Energy). Dominion and CNX claim it’s their right to drill under the storage field—the landowners believe they forfeited the right to drill years ago.

Read More “Landowners at 2nd OH Gas Storage Field Sue for Right to Drill”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Mahoning County | Ohio | Valerus

New Gas Equipment Plant Coming to Youngstown, OH
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

Valerus, an oil and gas services company that specializes in manufacturing and operating compression and processing equipment, is partnering with a Youngstown, OH company to build a new manufacturing plant in Youngstown. The new plant will build equipment that removes water from natural gas. Thirty more jobs on the way courtesy the Utica and Marcellus Shale.

Here’s a few more details about the Valerus plant:

Read More “New Gas Equipment Plant Coming to Youngstown, OH”
Ashland County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Harrison County | Medina County | Ohio

The Best (and Not So Best) Utica Drilling Locations in Ohio
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

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”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Mahoning County | Ohio | Statewide OH

Lawyer Cautions ALOV Landowners on Revising Signed Leases
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

At a meeting of the uber-large Associated Landowners of the Valley (ALOV) landowner group last night in Youngstown, Ohio, lawyer Alan Wenger warned the 500 landowners in the audience that landmen are knocking on doors once again, this time asking landowners already signed to modify their leases.

Wenger told landowners what energy companies like Chesapeake are asking for, and what landowners need to consider before signing:

Read More “Lawyer Cautions ALOV Landowners on Revising Signed Leases”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

New OH Bill Requires Landmen to Register, Become Experts
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

Ohio arguably has the most strict drilling rules of any state in the country for shale gas and oil drilling (so far, before New York gets off the pot). But the Dems in Ohio want more rules. This time they’re targeting landmen.

Ohio House Bill 493 would require landmen to become experts in exploration and production, in addition to real property and contract law. It also requires them to be registered:

Read More “New OH Bill Requires Landmen to Register, Become Experts”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Battelle to Assist OH in IDing Shale Wastewater Technologies
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

The Battelle Memorial Institute is going to give the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) a hand with figuring out which shale gas wastewater treatment technologies will work for Ohio.

Battelle, OEPA and ODNR issued a joint press statement yesterday outlining the collaboration:

Read More “Battelle to Assist OH in IDing Shale Wastewater Technologies”
Anchor Drilling Fluids | Columbiana County | Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Supply Chain

Drilling Mud Manufacturer Opens Plant in Wellsville, OH
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

Drilling mud manufacturer Anchor Drilling Fluids USA has just opened a new facility in Wellsville, Ohio—the first such facility in Ohio’s Utica Shale region. Anchor sited the plant next to a barite processing plant which they’ve invested in. Barite is one of the compounds used to make drilling mud.

From the press announcement about the new plant opening:

Read More “Drilling Mud Manufacturer Opens Plant in Wellsville, OH”
Energy Companies | EnerVest | EV Energy Partners | Ohio | Statewide OH

EV Energy Selling 539K Utica Shale Acres by Dec 31
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

EV Energy Partners, part of EnerVest Ltd., is in the final stages of a deal to sell its interest in 539,000 Utica Shale acres in Ohio, according to EV founder and chairman John Walker. (See this MDN story for background on how EV amassed such a large stake in the Utica.) When the final deal is done, it may bring in as much as $6 billion for EV.

Here’s what we know about the deal and what motivated it, from an investors call with Walker on Friday:

Read More “EV Energy Selling 539K Utica Shale Acres by Dec 31”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Mercer County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Trumbull County | Utica Shale

Halcon Drills First Utica Well in Trumbull County, OH
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

One month ago Halcon Resources purchased Carrizo Oil & Gas’ northern Utica Shale acreage (15,000 acres) for $43 million (see this MDN story). Halcon is not letting any grass grow under their feet. They are already working on their first Utica Shale well—preparing the site—in Trumbull County, OH. When completed, it will be the first active Utica Shale well in the county:

Read More “Halcon Drills First Utica Well in Trumbull County, OH”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Ohio | Trumbull County

Landowner Group Forms in Trumbull County to Field Halcon Offers
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

Very important for landowners in and around Trumbull County, Ohio: Halcon Resources, which took possession of some 31,000 acres of 20-50 year old gas drilling leases in northeastern Ohio, is approaching landowners about amending their leases to allow drilling in the Utica Shale. It’s a good opportunity for landowners to make money from drilling, but also a good opportunity to negotiate new protections.

A new landowner group has just formed in Lordstown, OH to help landowners navigate the offers being made by Halcon:

Read More “Landowner Group Forms in Trumbull County to Field Halcon Offers”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Gulfport CEO Says Company’s Future is the Utica Shale
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

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”
Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Processing Plants | Statewide OH

Ohio May Still Get an Ethane Cracker Plant
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

Could Ohio (and for that matter West Virginia) still get their own ethane cracker plant? That would be a “yes” according to Cal Dooley, CEO of the American Chemistry Council. He was interviewed last week by Columbus Business First reporter Jeff Bell.

This is what Dooley had to say:

Read More “Ohio May Still Get an Ethane Cracker Plant”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Obama’s Re-election Impact on Ohio’s Utica Shale Drilling
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

A sobering and excellent article in the Coshocton Tribune takes a look at how the re-election of Barak H. Obama will negatively impact small businesses and the Utica Shale drilling industry in Ohio. We highly recommend you read the entire article to gain an understanding of the implications for all types of small businesses—businesses that are the economic backbone of our country.

Here’s a small portion of the article that deals with federal impacts on shale gas drilling in Ohio:

Read More “Obama’s Re-election Impact on Ohio’s Utica Shale Drilling”
Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EV Energy Partners | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Utica Shale

Hanoverton, OH NGL Processing Plant on Track for May 2013
November 12, 2012November 12, 2012

In May 2012, MDN told you about a new $400 million cryogenic processing plant to be built in Hanoverton (Columbiana County), Ohio by a joint venture between Chesapeake Energy, M3 Midstream and EV Energy Partners (see this MDN story). The plant will collect and process shale gas, separating out natural gas liquids like propane, butane and ethane. In early October we told you construction had begun and the first phase of the new plant is due to come online in May 2013 (see this MDN story).

Last week an official for M3 Midstream, one of the partners in the project, visited the construction site and said things are track to meet the “very aggressive” May 2013 opening date:

Read More “Hanoverton, OH NGL Processing Plant on Track for May 2013”
Cuyahoga County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation

OH City Bans Drilling in City Limits – Legality Questioned
November 9, 2012November 9, 2012

Broadview Heights, OH (Cuyahoga County) voters passed a measure on Tuesday that bans any further oil and gas drilling in the city limits. There are currently 90 oil and gas wells drilled in Broadview Heights. Problem is, the new measure, which becomes part of the city’s charter, is in violation of Ohio law which states only the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR)can regulate oil and gas drilling.

It’s another “home rule” lawsuit in the making…

Read More “OH City Bans Drilling in City Limits – Legality Questioned”
Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Wastewater

New Shale Wastewater Plant Planned for Mahoning County
November 9, 2012November 9, 2012

ESI Enviro wants to build a new $5 million Utica and Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment facility in Campbell, Ohio, along the Mahoning River. The mayor of Campbell, Bill Vansuch, is in favor it. The city has been under water financially (in receivership) since 2004 and the revenue from the plant would be a big boost in revenue for the city.

Here’s the details:

Read More “New Shale Wastewater Plant Planned for Mahoning County”