Drilling Down
Hilcorp Drills Alone in Utica Shale's Northern Tier
Thursday, May 01, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- With BP and Halcon Energy Corp. pulling up stakes in the northern tier of the Utica shale, and Consol Energy and Chesapeake Energy tapering their oil and gas exploration activity here, one exploration company is actually increasing its presence in this part of the play.
YSU Scientists Support Citizens Rights Fracking Ban
Thursday, May 01, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Twenty scientists from Youngstown State University have signed on to support a charter amendment that would ban hydraulic fracturing and wastewater injection wells in the city.
Faculty members representing the geology, physics, chemistry and biology departments at YSU say that oil and gas exploration brings with it many unanswered questions about the levels of toxicity produced during the process, and until those questions are answered, all drilling should be placed on hold.
Industry Boosters Upbeat Despite BP Exiting Utica
Wednesday, April 30, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Just because BP America is abandoning its interests in the Utica shale play doesn’t mean another company can’t make a go of it, an industry spokesman suggests.
“Absolutely,” responded Mike Chadsey, director of public relations for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, when asked if BP’s Utica acreage would be attractive to another energy company.
Halcon's Lordstown Well Beats Oil Production Average
Wednesday, April 30, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Halcon Energy Corp.’s Kibler well in Trumbull County is thus far the most productive oil well in the northern tier of the Utica shale, according to the latest data released by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
ODNR released production numbers April 25 for 352 horizontal wells drilled in the shale play that reported results during the fourth quarter of 2013. Another 45 wells reported no production because they await pipeline infrastructure.
BP to Market 105,000 Utica Acres It’s Abandoning
Wednesday, April 30, 2014YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- BP America is planning to sell off 105,000 leasehold acres it owns in the Mahoning Valley as part of its exit strategy in the Utica shale, a company spokesman says.
"Just because this play doesn't fit in our BP portfolio doesn't mean it's a busted play," said Curtis Thomas, BP Ohio's director of government and public affairs. "It doesn't mean that it's not a perfect play for another oil and gas operator."