Statewide OH 111 - Marcellus Drilling News

Utica Drilling in a Nutshell: Permits & Wells Drilled, by Driller

January 22, 2013January 22, 2013

in a nutshell The Akron Beacon Journal has done a great job of cataloging a condensed list of who is actively drilling—or intends to drill—in the Utica Shale. There are 23 companies in the list. No surprise that Chesapeake is #1 with 325 of the 498 permits handed out so far.

Here’s the entire list of 23 companies, along with a rundown of who’s drilled all 48 wells currently in production:

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:

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.

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:

Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Why More Ohioans Don’t Work in Utica Shale Industry? Drugs

January 11, 2013January 11, 2013

drugs 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.

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:

Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

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

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013

The 200 Club 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:

Lario Oil and Gas | Ohio | Statewide OH | Trumbull County | Utica Shale

New Driller Enters Eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013

Trumbull County, Ohio apparently has a new driller. No permits have been issued yet, but local land deeds show that Lario Oil and Gas, a Kansas-based company, has leased the mineral rights for “hundreds of acres” in Newton Township. They say they have leased thousands of acres in eastern Ohio:

Energy Companies | Hess | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Hess Announces 2013 Plans, Includes Ohio Utica Drilling

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013

Hess Corporation announced its plans for 2013 yesterday. Among those plans—drill a lot more unconventional (i.e. shale) wells. Some of the drilling they’ve budgeted for 2013 includes “appraisal wells” in the Ohio Utica Shale.

From the Hess announcement:

Ohio | Statewide OH

Kasich Now 1+ Year Late in Appointing State Land Lease Commission

January 7, 2013January 7, 2013

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who loves the money from “foreign” oil and gas companies (foreign as in Oklahoma and Texas) flowing into the state, but doesn’t care for “foreign workers” from those states, and Gov. John Kasich who wants to tax gas drillers more so he can spread the wealth around to everyone, is behind the eight ball when it comes to leasing state-owned land for shale gas drilling.

Kasich is more than a year behind in appointing a five-member commission to oversee leasing of state park and state forest mineral rights:

Chesapeake’s Drilling Security – A Serious Business

January 7, 2013January 7, 2013

Chesapeake Energy takes security in and around it’s drill sites seriously—so much so they employ 24 full-time security officers to conduct roving patrols in an eight-county region in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

Security for Chesapeake, however, involves far more than driving by a drill site and rattling a chained fence…

Encore Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

OH Utica Leasing Agent’s Acreage Grows to 1/4 Million

January 4, 2013January 4, 2013

In July MDN told you about Encore Energy, a horizontal well operator formed last year and headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that’s acting as a leasing agent for a large tract of Utica Shale acreage. At the time they advertised they “have access to” 175,000 acres in Ohio (see Encore Energy Shopping 175K Utica Shale Acres in OH). That number has grown. Encore is advertising they have now have access and rights to lease a quarter of a million acres in the Ohio Utica.

Wanting to remind drillers they’re still around and have land deals to lease, they issued another press release on Wednesday:

OH Utica Shale Drilling Will Continue Rapid Expansion in 2013

January 2, 2013January 2, 2013

rocket taking off Some interesting facts about Ohio Utica Shale drilling for 2012, and predictions for 2013…Fact number one: There are 45 producing horizontal Utica Shale wells in Ohio as of Dec. 31, 2012. They produce 40% as much natural gas as all 64,000 vertical-only natural gas wells in the state produce. (You read that right!) Conclusion: When Ohio reaches 113 producing Utica Shale wells (sometime in 2013), it will equal the entire natural gas production of all 64K vertical natural gas wells in the state. Behold the miracle of hydraulic fracturing.

Here’s a few more fascinating facts about Ohio’s Utica Shale drilling in 2012, and predictions for what’s ahead in 2013:

Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Chesapeake Energy’s Huge Vote of Confidence in Ohio’s Utica Shale

January 2, 2013January 2, 2013

Chesapeake Energy is the largest driller (by far) in the Ohio Utica Shale—a situation not likely to change any time soon. Chesapeake is in love with Ohio’s Utica Shale.

Here’s a rundown of their drilling operations in the Ohio Utica, including how many wells drilled (to date), how much they’ve invested in the state, and their plans for 2013:

Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Statewide OH

Utica Shale Job Search Resources in Eastern Ohio

January 2, 2013January 2, 2013

Do you live in eastern Ohio, have heard about the Utica Shale boom and want a job in the industry? Here’s a handy list of job center locations, phone numbers and websites to help you with your job search:

Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

Checking Up: Did ODNR Meet Goal of 90 Well Inspectors?

December 31, 2012December 31, 2012

In May 2012, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR), the state agency that oversees the permitting and drilling of oil and gas wells, set a goal of tripling the number of well inspectors by the end of 2012—which would mean having 90 inspectors on staff. The agency has struggled with a heavy load of inspections due to a ramp up in Utica Shale drilling.

So, did ODNR meet its goal?