Despite slowing production in some wells, Ohio’s shale gas and oil production numbers overall remain steady as more wells come online.

Akron Beacon Journal reports that in Monroe County, Ohio, the Tippens 6HS well was the most prolific well in Ohio’s Utica Shale, producing 1.117 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the first quarter of 2014 alone. After the first few months, though, production slowed from 13,972 thousand cubic feet of natural gas per day to 8,180 thousand cubic feet per day by the second quarter and down to 6,015 thousand cubic feet per day in the third quarter.

This type of well behavior, known as “production decline curves,” is common with horizontal wells. A shale well is most productive at first, and then production slows down after the first few months or years. A well’s production determines how much money drillers make and how much landowners are paid in royalty payments. When a well begins to produce less than it did initially, everyone is impacted.

Via: Akron Beacon Journal > Sharp declines in well production typical in Ohio’s Utica Shale