Ascent receives 13 more permits for Utica Shale
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
During the week ended April 13, Ascent Resources Utica LLC received 13 horizontal well permits from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to drill in Ohio’s Utica Shale, according to The Youngstown Business Journal.
Ascent secured the permits for well sites in Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson counties in the southern portion of the Utica Shale play.
To date, the ODNR has approved 3,059 permits for horizontal wells in Ohio’s Utica. Of the total, 2,571 of these are drilled and 2,179 are in production, according to the latest data from the ODNR.
Learn more: The Youngstown Business Journal > ODNR issues 13 permits in Utica Shale
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.