SALEM, Ohio — Trumbull County is on the lookout for another natural gas driller for the Utica shale.

BP announced April 29 that it is not going to be drilling any more wells there and is putting its leaseholds up for sale.

Earnings report

BP said in the first quarter earnings report that poor returns from its appraisal well program prompted it to discontinue investment in the northern tier of the Utica shale, especially in Trumbull County, where the company has drilled eight wells.

The corporation issued a $520 million write-down related to its Utica investment as part of BP’s first quarter earnings report.

“BP has assets all of the world and the Utica, due to well production results, does not fit into their portfolio,” said Mike Chadsey, Ohio Oil and Gas Association public relations director.
“I think a smaller company, maybe one that has drilled in Trumbull County before, may take some or perhaps all of their acres and try again,” Chadsey said.

BP has 84,000 acres leased in Trumbull County and another 11,000 acres in other Ohio counties.

BP currently has four producing wells in Trumbull County. The Lennington well in Johnston produced 1,889 barrels of oil and 20,316 Mcf of natural gas during the fourth quarter of 2013.

The Buckeye well in Hartford Township produced 378 barrels of oil and 20,322 Mcf of natural gas and the Zerovich well in Mecca Township produced 746 barrels of oil and 2,884 Mcf of natural gas, but was in production only 30 days. The fourth well, the Jewett well in Johnston Township, went into production in 2014, so there are no public production records available.

Not alone

BP is the second drilling company to abandon plans in Trumbull County. Halcon Resources scrapped its drilling plans after poor results were reported from their wells in Trumbull County in 2013.