ODNR grants permits for 3 wells in Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has granted permits for three new Utica Shale wells to Chesapeake Exploration LLC, a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp.

All three permits are for wells in the Columbiana County townships of Middleton, Franklin and Hanover.

The Middleton Township well, named Stateline Resources, will be northwest of the Carmel Anchor Road and Richardson Avenue intersection.

The Franklin Township well, named Albaneso, will be on Foundry Hill Road, just north of Yellow Creek Road.

The Hanover Township well, named Henceroth, will be on Lisbon-Dungannon Road, just east of Gavers Road.

ODNR also reported that two wells in Columbiana County — one in Knox Township and one in West Township — are ready to be fracked.

Fracking is the process in which water, chemicals and sand are blasted into rocks thousands of feet below the ground to unlock natural gas and oil.

There are 14 permitted horizontal wells in Columbiana County: three each in West, Middleton and Hanover townships; two each in Washington and Franklin townships and one in Knox Township.

There are eight permitted horizontal wells in Mahoning County: six in Goshen Township and one each in Milton and Ellsworth townships.