American Energy Partners puts Utica acreage up for sale

American Energy Partners LP, the company founded by ex-Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon, is looking to sell 29,000 acres in eastern Ohio.

Columbus Business First reports that the undeveloped acreage lies in two main areas: about 18,000 acres in Noble, Guernsey and Tuscarawas counties and 11,000 acres in Jefferson, Carroll and Columbiana counties. American Energy – Utica LLC, the company’s subsidiary, has about 250,000 acres in the Utica Shale play.

As many companies have cut back on drilling and production during the shale industry’s downturn, it’s hard to tell how the sale will be affected.

Via: Columbus Business First > EXCLUSIVE: Aubrey McClendon’s company trying to sell land in Ohio’s Utica shale

Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map

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Class II Brine Injection Wells of Ohio

Northwest PA- Utica Point Pleasant Potential

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.

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