Ohio’s natural gas production up 42%

COLUMBUS — Ohio’s horizontal shale well oil and gas production continues to climb, as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports in its release of the second quarter production figures.

Natural gas production from the second quarter of 2018 showed a 42.25 percent increase over the second quarter of 2017, while oil production increased 10.98 percent for the same period.

Ohio’s horizontal shale wells produced 4,488,104 barrels of oil and 554,306,916 Mcf (545 billion cubic feet) of natural gas in the second quarter, according to figures released Aug. 28 by the ODNR.

Five years ago, in 2013, those second quarter figures were 574,440 barrels and 15,065,106 MCF. Experts say production has increased in part because of new drilling and completion techniques, including longer well laterals, which can now stretch more than 19,000 feet.

Nationally, natural gas production from the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in the Appalachian basin accounted for about 29 percent of U.S. total production in July 2018.

The ODNR quarterly report lists 2,035 horizontal shale wells, 2,002 of which reported oil and natural gas production during the quarter.

Top wells

The top two gas-producing wells come from the 1H and 3H legs of the Borovich well in Belmont County’s Richland Township. The top-producing well yielded 3,168,398 MCF, up from the first quarter’s production of 2,705,060, which also led the state. A second Borovich leg produced 2,974,278 MCF. (Scroll down to see lists of top 10 wells.)

Guernsey County’s Millwood Township is home to the top six oil-producing wells, and three of the quarter’s top producers came from the Yanosik wells. The Yanosik A 2H leg produced 100,723 barrels, compared to 168,493 barrels produced in the first quarter’s top well.

Of the wells reporting oil and natural gas results:

• The average amount of oil produced was 2,242 barrels.
• The average amount of natural gas produced was 276,877 Mcf.
• The average number of second quarter days in production was 85.

Oil and gas reporting totals listed on the report include Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) and condensate. All horizontal production reports can be accessed at oilandgas.ohiodnr.gov/production.