YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The end of February brought the number of horizontal drilling permits in Columbiana County for Chesapeake Exploration LLC to 19, while new permits were issued for two exploration companies new to the liquids-rich Utica shale play in eastern Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Chesapeake’s latest permit will allow the Oklahoma-based gas exploration company to drill a new well on the Reed property in Columbiana’s Elk Run Township, the township’s first drill site.
So far, Chesapeake has drilled four well sites in Columbiana County.
In Carroll County, ODNR issued horizontal drilling permits for Chesapeake to drill on the Heaton property in Brown Township and R.E. Gas Development LLC to drill on the Brace property in Washington Township.
Chesapeake now holds 44 permits to drill in Carroll County, three of which are in Brown Township.
R.E. Gas Development is based in Evans City, Pa. The company’s Washington Township permit marks its first drilling permit in Ohio. To date, there are nine permitted sites in the Washington Township.
ODNR has issued 51 horizontal drilling permits in Carroll County and 15 wells have been drilled or are in the process of being drilled, according to state records.
ODNR also issued Chesapeake a permit to drill in Stark County and issued to Gulfport Energy Corp., an Oklahoma City-based natural gas exploration and production company, its first Ohio drilling permit in Harrison County.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.