Utica Shale permitting activity sees 60% increase in Columbiana County
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Forty new permits were issued to oil and gas companies drilling wells in the Utica Shale in Columbiana County, Ohio, this year, according to The Business Journal. Permitting activity in Columbiana saw a 60% increase over 2021.
Only 25 permits were issued in 2021 to drill oil and gas wells in Columbiana County, and a year prior to that only 12 permits were issued.
Hillcorp Energy Co. and EAP Ohio LLC, a division of Encino Energy, were responsible for all of the new permitting activity. Hillcorp received 37 drilling permits this year and EAP received the remaining 3 permits.
Learn more: The Business Journal > New Utica Drilling Permits Increase in 2022
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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.