Latest Grand Tally for OH Utica Shale Well Permits: 639
The latest Utica Shale permits and wells drilled numbers, as of May 4:
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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia
List of “Things to Consider” Before You Sign a Pipeline Lease
The rapid ramp-up in Utica Shale drilling in Ohio, and Marcellus drilling in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, has meant a shortage of “infrastructure” like pipelines to carry all of the bountiful shale gas being mined. Infrastructure development–pipelines and processing plants–are not being built at a furious pace across both the Utica and Marcellus–but particularly in the Utica. That means a pipeline company landman may come knocking on your door, if you’re a landowner. What are the things to watch out for, before you sign a lease to allow a pipeline?
The attorneys at Bricker & Eckler (with several offices in Ohio) have a handy list of “things to consider” before you sign on the dotted line to allow a pipeline across your property…
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OH Company Builds Units to Convert NatGas to Diesel
Ohio company Velocys, located in Plain City, just outside Columbus, has just opened for business and the impact for both the Utica and Marcellus Shale region could be huge. The company makes machines (based on 1920s technology from Germany) that convert natural gas into diesel fuel. Right now diesel is about 6 times more expensive than an equivalent amount of natural gas. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is starting to come on strong–witness UPS’ announcement last week to purchase 700 new tractor trailers that run on LNG (see UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers). That’s certainly one very necessary solution.
However, Velocys believes there’s a market to convert natural gas to diesel to feed the already existing market of millions of diesel engines on the roads today. And they’re right…
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OH Utica Permits Now 627 – See Who & Where
The latest numbers from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) shows that Utica Shale permits have risen to a total of 627, out of which 310 of them have been (or are being) drilled.Here’s a summary of the latest numbers, along with a table showing all of the permits issued as of April 27, listing the county, town, driller and well name:
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH | Wastewater
ODNR Wants Fracking Regs Added Back to Kasich Budget Bill
On Monday, the head of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, James Zehringer, asked Ohio Senators to restore a number of non-budget-related oil and gas provisions to the budget bill scrapped by the House in the version they passed. The provisions could be brought back if the Senate includes them and the final version is agreed to in committee.
The provisions Zehringer wants added back?…
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OOGA Rep Says Bloomberg Wrong About OH Shale Boom
The executive vice president of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association, Thomas Stewart, isn’t buying the Bloomberg News theory that Ohio’s Shale boom is over before it’s really even begun (see Bloomberg Says Ohio Utica Shale is Gassy, Not Oily). Stewart says the oil is there but may present some challenges in retrieving it–challenges that technology can solve.
Comments from Stewart, including his view on where the Utica “fairway” is located:
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Ohio Force Pooling Requests: 4 Granted, 5 Pending, 2 Other
An extensive article on “unitization” (what MDN calls “forced pooling”) in Ohio appeared in the Sunday Youngstown Vindicator. The article gives a good overview of the history of unitization in Ohio, along with current requests pending with the ODNR.
The article begins this way:
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Ohio Moves One Step Closer to Quarterly O&G Production Reports
It looks like Ohio may finally move from reporting oil and gas production every 12 months to every three months. A provision in the state budget (passed by the Ohio House nearly two weeks ago) will require drillers in Ohio to provide production numbers every three months. According to the head of Ohio’s Oil and Gas Resources division at the Dept. of Natural Resources, Rick Simmers, drillers have dropped their opposition to more frequent reporting…
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Opinion Shows Strong Majority Favor Fracking/Drilling in Ohio
In New York, public opinion polling shows the state is largely split on the question of whether or not fracking for natural gas should be done. Over the past few years it’s been pretty close to a 50/50 split—which is what keeps Andy “Ditherer” Cuomo up at night agonizing over his presidential aspirations which have gone “poof” because of the drilling issue.
However, the folks in Ohio don’t have freak shows like Yoko Ono wandering around to inspire angst (and if they did, they would ignore her as should be done). In Ohio, public opinion polling shows a strong 2/3 majority favor fracking and drilling…
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Utica Angst Continues – A Close Look at the Utica Tea Leaves
An article from the Warren (OH) Tribune Chronicle tackles the thorny question of whether or not oil and gas drilling in Ohio is now passé…an also-ran…washed up…kaput.
It begins this way…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide NY | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia
ShaleNavigator Expands Again: Adds New Areas to Online Mapping App
Although technically not in the purview of MDN’s coverage, we want to alert you that MDN partner ShaleNavigator—the top-notch online mapping service that brings you those marvelous maps in the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook—is expanding. ShaleNavigator founder Ed Camp has added the Collingwood and Antrim Shale plays in Michigan to his coverage.
Here’s Ed’s press release announcing the expansion of his excellent service:
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Muskingum Watershed Votes to Sell 209M Gals of Water for Fracking
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) oversees the largest watershed area in Ohio, spanning some 8,000 square miles. After some initial delays a few years ago, MWCD decided they want in on the Utica drilling bonanza happening all around them. In 2011 they leased 2,800 acres of watershed land to Gulfport Energy for $15.6 million. In 2012, they leased 3,700 acres to Chesapeake for $21.5 million. In February of this year, they signed a contract with Antero Resources to lease 6,500 acres for $40.3 million plus 20% royalties (see Muskingum Watershed District Signs with Antero for $40.3M Bonus).
All that drilling will need water. MWCD will oblige…
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Ohio Oil & Gas Regulatory & Environmental Matters eBook
The lawyers at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP write an excellent blog on oil and gas drilling in Ohio called the Oil and Gas Law Report. They’ve compiled a number of those articles into a handy PDF ebook (embedded below), covering regulations and environmental issues impacting Ohio’s oil and gas drilling industry. This little ebook (28 pages) is useful for lawyers, drillers and landowners alike…
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Ohio Passes “Magic 600” Utica Shale Permits Issued
The most recent weekly report from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) shows that Ohio has now issued 605 Utica Shale permits to drill. Of those, 297 wells have been/are being drilled, and 89 wells are now producing. Although recent talk from Bloomberg and others has attempted to throw cold water on the Utica Shale, there’s no denying it’s still white hot.
Here are the the numbers from the latest report, and the grand tallies for where all those permits have been issued—by county, and by driller:
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EVEP’s Utica PR Offensive: Good Oil Pressure, Low Drilling Costs
Yesterday, MDN told you about EV Energy Partners/EnverVest’s (EVEP) mission to sell at least some of the 539,000 acres of Utica Shale leases they hold in Ohio (see EV Energy Partners Deal to Sell 104K Utica Acres Dead, What Now?). As part of the investor update call with EVEP on Tuesday, company chairman John Walker went on a PR offensive by saying drillers are watching how much oil will be produced by a well in Tuscarawas County (where EVEP is trying to unload acreage), and by saying the cost to drill a Utica well has come down, by up to 50%, from what it was when drillers first started in the Utica just a few years ago.
Walker’s comments from Tuesday:
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EV Energy Partners Deal to Sell 104K Utica Acres Dead, What Now?
EV Energy Partners/EnerVest Executive Chairman John Walker admitted yesterday that a deal to sell the company’s interest in 104,000 Utica Shale acres has fallen apart. MDN has chronicled the journey thus far in a number of articles. In September 2013, EVEP announced they had put 539,000 Utica acres on the auction block and were confident they would sell it by year’s end and receive in the neighborhood of $6 billion (see EnerVest Puts 539,000 Utica Shale Acres on Auction Block). That didn’t happen.Earlier this year, EVEP seemed to pull back from the original offer and instead push 104,000 acres concentrated in Stark, Tuscarawas and surrounding counties (see EnerVest Strategy: Sell Utica, Drill Vertical, Expand Midstream). That smaller deal has now also “failed” according to yesterday’s call. Apparently the price was right, but the terms were not. So what happens now?
Read More “EV Energy Partners Deal to Sell 104K Utica Acres Dead, What Now?”
The latest numbers from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) shows that Utica Shale permits have risen to a total of 627, out of which 310 of them have been (or are being) drilled.