A total of 23 drilling companies are in pursuit of Ohio’s Utica shale, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management.
That total was as of Jan. 12 and is reflected in the companies that are getting state drilling permits.
Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. is No. 1 with 325 permits in 10 Ohio counties including Portage and Stark.
Other totals are:
• Antero Resources, 11, in Monroe and Noble counties.
• Anadarko, 12, in Coshocton, Guernsey, Muskingum and Noble.
• Atlas Noble, 5, in Harrison.
• Carrizo, 2, Guernsey.
• Chevron Appalachia, 2, Harrison County.
• CNX Gas Co., 20, Jefferson, Mahoning, Noble, Portage, Trumbull and Tuscarawas.
• Eclipse Resources, 1, Monroe.
• Devon Energy, 13, Ashland, Coshocton, Knox, Guernsey, Medina, Wayne and Holmes.
• EnerVest, 16, Carroll, Guernsey, Jefferson, Muskingum, Noble and Stark.
• EQT Production, 1, Guernsey.
• Gulfport Energy, 28, Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison.
• Halcon Operating, 1, Trumbull.
• Hall Drilling, 1, Monroe.
• Hess Ohio Resources, 15, Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison and Jefferson.
• HG Energy, 16, Monroe.
• Hilcorp Energy, 2, Columbiana and Mahoning.
• Mountaineer Keystone, 7, Portage.
• Petroleum Development Corp., 4, Guernsey.
• R.E. Gas Development, 8, Carroll and Noble.
• Sierra Resources, 3, Carroll, Columbiana and Tuscarawas.
• Swepi, 1, Columbiana.
• XTO, 4, Belmont and Monroe.
In all, that’s 498 permits.
As of Jan. 12, Ohio has 48 Utica shale wells that are in production.
Chesapeake owns 32 of those 48 producing Utica shale wells in eastern Ohio.
The other companies are: Anadarko, 6; Antero Resources, 3; EnerVest, 2; Gulfport Energy, 2; HG Energy, 1; Mountaineer Keystone, 1; and Rex Energy, 1.
Of the 48 wells in production, 27 are in Carroll County and are all Chesapeake wells.
Noble County has 5; Harrison, 4; Guernsey, 2; Monroe, 2; Portage, 2; Stark, 2; Columbiana, 1; Jefferson, 1; Muskingum, 1; and Tuscarawas, 1.
Looking at wells that are drilled or are being drilled (and likely to be producing in the future), Carroll has 55, all owned by Chesapeake.
Columbiana County is No. 2 with 28 wells, again all owned by Chesapeake.
Jefferson County has 19 and Harrison County has 14.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.