YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Hilcorp Energy Co. has received seven new horizontal well permits at its Pulaski Davis well in Mercer County, Pa., says the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The permits, awarded July 16, are for a well pad just north of the Lawrence County line in Shenango Township.
This area of western Pennsylvania is among the most active in terms of oil and gas exploration in the northern tier of the Utica shale. Two weeks ago, workers were busy clearing the way for gathering pipelines that were intended to string together several Hilcorp well pads in southern Mercer and northern Lawrence counties, including the Pulaski Davis pad (READ STORY).
No new permits were issued for Lawrence County, the DEP said.
Meantime, Chesapeake Energy and other producers continued their pursuit of oil and gas reserves in the southern tier of the Utica. These reserves are concentrated in southeastern Ohio, according to the latest data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
ODNR issued 15 permits for the week ended July 17. Chesapeake Exploration LLC, a division of Chesapeake Energy Corp., was issued 10 well permits -- seven in Harrison County, two in Carroll County and one in Jefferson County.
American Energy Utica, a subsidiary of Aubrey McClendon's American Energy Partners, received three permits for the week, two in Belmont County and one in Guernsey County, data show.
Also, CNX Gas, a division of Consol Energy, was awarded two permits to drill in Monroe County.
There were no new permits issued for Mahoning, Trumbull or Columbiana counties, according to ODNR.
Since 2010, ODNR has issued 1,410 horizontal well permits in the Utica. Of that number, 971 wells are drilled, 483 of which are in production.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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