Statewide OH

Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Public Opinion | Statewide OH

Opinion Shows Strong Majority Favor Fracking/Drilling in Ohio
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

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…

Read More “Opinion Shows Strong Majority Favor Fracking/Drilling in Ohio”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Utica Angst Continues – A Close Look at the Utica Tea Leaves
April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

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…

Read More “Utica Angst Continues – A Close Look at the Utica Tea Leaves”
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
April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

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:

Read More “ShaleNavigator Expands Again: Adds New Areas to Online Mapping App”
Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Statewide OH

Muskingum Watershed Votes to Sell 209M Gals of Water for Fracking
April 22, 2013April 22, 2013

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…

Read More “Muskingum Watershed Votes to Sell 209M Gals of Water for Fracking”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

Ohio Oil & Gas Regulatory & Environmental Matters eBook
April 22, 2013April 22, 2013

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…

Read More “Ohio Oil & Gas Regulatory & Environmental Matters eBook”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Ohio Passes “Magic 600” Utica Shale Permits Issued
April 19, 2013April 19, 2013

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:

Read More “Ohio Passes “Magic 600” Utica Shale Permits Issued”
Energy Companies | EnerVest | EV Energy Partners | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

EVEP’s Utica PR Offensive: Good Oil Pressure, Low Drilling Costs
April 18, 2013April 18, 2013

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:

Read More “EVEP’s Utica PR Offensive: Good Oil Pressure, Low Drilling Costs”
Energy Companies | EnerVest | EV Energy Partners | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

EV Energy Partners Deal to Sell 104K Utica Acres Dead, What Now?
April 17, 2013April 17, 2013

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?”
Ohio | Statewide OH

Utica Whisker Away from 600 Utica Permits, 300 Wells Drilled
April 17, 2013

Ohio is just a few permits short of 600 Utica Shale permits for drilling, and just a few wells short of having drilled 300 Utica Shale wells. And no signs of letting up.

Here’s the latest numbers provided by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, updated through April 6:
Read More “Utica Whisker Away from 600 Utica Permits, 300 Wells Drilled”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Bloomberg Says Ohio Utica Shale is Gassy, Not Oily
April 16, 2013April 16, 2013

Even though the 2012 production numbers for Ohio have still not been released, Bloomberg has declared Ohio’s dreams of producing large quantities of crude oil now dead and buried. Bloomberg says the Utica Shale play has turned out much more "gassy" than "oily". As their evidence, Bloomberg points to Ohio Utica asset sales now offered by some of the state’s biggest drillers, along with the opinions of a few analysts:

Read More “Bloomberg Says Ohio Utica Shale is Gassy, Not Oily”
Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Statewide OH

New OH Group Agrees with Gov. Kasich: Keep the Foreigners Out
April 12, 2013April 12, 2013

Echoing the same sentiment expressed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich that out-of-state workers are considered "foreigners" (see OH Gov. Kasich Continues Trash Talk Out-of-State Workers), a grassroots group in Ohio has formed to "protect" Ohio workers and lobby and "hold energy companies accountable" for hiring more Ohioans for Utica Shale oil and gas drilling jobs. The group, called Protecting Ohio Workers, Employing Residents (or POWER for short), issued the following press release on Wednesday:

Read More “New OH Group Agrees with Gov. Kasich: Keep the Foreigners Out”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Radioactive Frack Waste Regs Coming Out of the Ohio Budget Bill
April 11, 2013April 11, 2013

Three Ohio state agencies requested a change in the way the state regulates and disposes of drilling waste that contains naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically-enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM). So new provisions were added to, of all things, the Ohio budget bill. Will politicians never learn?

Looks like the radioactive waste regulations are coming out of the budget bill and will instead be combined into their own, standalone bill. But that won’t happen until sometime this fall…

Read More “Radioactive Frack Waste Regs Coming Out of the Ohio Budget Bill”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

The Latest Ohio Utica Shale Permits & Wells Drilled Numbers
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

The number of Utica Shale well permits, and wells drilled, continues it’s rapid ascent. Through March 30 there have been 588 Utica permits issued, and 282 wells drilled. Here’s where the latest permits were issued:

Read More “The Latest Ohio Utica Shale Permits & Wells Drilled Numbers”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Baker Hughes Rig Counts Hit New Low, But There’s More to Story…
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

Energy analyst and Seeking Alpha blogger Richard Zeits has authored a new “required reading” article titled, “Natural Gas: Sharp Recent Drop In Baker Hughes Gas Rig Count Explained.” In his new article, Zeits says that although the Baker Hughes rig count (number of active drilling rigs in the U.S.) has reached a new low as of last Friday—only 375 active rigs—the rig count itself does not tell the whole story. With a series of stunning charts, Zeits explores the big change from rigs drilling for natural gas to rigs drilling for oil…

Read More “Baker Hughes Rig Counts Hit New Low, But There’s More to Story…”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Obama “Inches” Toward Approving Barge Shipments of Frack Water
April 5, 2013April 5, 2013

GreenHunter Water (and others) anxiously await approval from the Coast Guard to allow shipment of fracking wastewater by barge. GreenHunter has a lot riding on the Coast Guard’s decision (see GreenHunter’s Plans to Move Wastewater by Barge Delayed). Anti-drillers are attempting to prevent barge shipments of frack water as a tactic to discourage drilling. They ignore the glaring fact that substances far more toxic than frack water are shipped on river barges each and every day of the week, all done with a sterling safety record.

Reuters is now reporting that the Coast Guard has recommended barge shipments be allowed and has supplied the Obama administration with a draft rule to do it. Reuters also reports the administration is “inching ahead” with plans to approve the rule:

Read More “Obama “Inches” Toward Approving Barge Shipments of Frack Water”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

OOGA Report on Ohio Utica Drilling for 2012 – Charts & Maps
April 3, 2013April 3, 2013

At the recent winter meeting of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, OOGA presented the DeBrosse Memorial Report: 2012 Oil and Gas Activity in Ohio. Chock-full of interesting charts and maps showing who drilled wells in Ohio, where they drilled them and how far (distance) the wells were drilled, the report (full copy embedded below) is a must-read if you have an interest in the Utica Shale.

A few highlights:

Read More “OOGA Report on Ohio Utica Drilling for 2012 – Charts & Maps”