Shell Oil Gets Permits for Mercer County Wells
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued permits to Shell Oil to drill two new horizontal wells in Mercer County.
SWEPI, a division of Shell, was awarded a permit Nov. 16 for a horizontal well in Lake Township on the Shannon property. Another permit was issued Nov. 20 for Shell to drill a horizontal well on the Palmer farm in Fairview Township, DEP records show.
The unconventional wells target the Utica/Point Pleasant shale formation, which energy specialists believe hold vast reserves of wet gas and oil.
There were no new permits issued in Lawrence County, Pa., during the week.
Meantime, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued 10 new horizontal permits for Utica exploration during the week of Nov. 11, records show.
Seven of these permits were issued to Chesapeake Exploration LLC, the most prolific oil and gas driller in the Utica shale; two were issued to Gulfport Energy Corp., and one permit to EnerVest Operating LLC.
Chesapeake was granted two permits to drill new wells in Columbiana County, ODNR records show. A permit was issued Nov. 15 for Chesapeake to drill in Fairfield Township at the Hartz property, while the company was awarded another permit Nov. 16 to drill in Elk Run Township on the Ralph farm.
Five other permits were issued to Chesapeake to drill new wells in Carroll County.
Gulfport Energy Corp., which has experienced great success in southeastern Ohio with a handful of productive wells drilled there, was awarded two permits Nov. 13 to drill in Belmont and Harrison counties, records show. EnerVest was issued a single horizontal permit Nov. 13 to drill a well in Noble County.
No new permits were reported issued for Mahoning or Trumbull counties during that week.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.