4 new permits for wells in Valley

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

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

Two permits are for wells in Hanover Township on Mckaig Road just west of Bethesda Road.

Another, in Elk Run Township, will be on Elkton Road just north of Darner Road.

The fourth permit is for a well in Madison Township, on Y Camp Road just south of Cream Ridge Road.

All are in Columbiana County.

ODNR also announced that a permit previously canceled has been reissued for a well in Franklin Township on Lewis Road just west of state Route 644, also in Columbiana County.

The horizontal wells will extract resources by means of fracking, a process in which water, chemicals and sand are blasted into rocks thousands of feet below the ground to unlock natural gas and oil.

No Mahoning Valley wells currently are producing dry gas, wet gas or oil, according to ODNR records.

The wells bring the tri-county area’s permit count to 35.

There are permits for 26 wells in Columbiana County — seven in Hanover Township, four each in West and Franklin townships, three each in Washington and Middleton townships, two each in Elk Run and Madison townships and one in Knox Township.

There are permits for nine Utica wells in Mahoning County: seven in Goshen Township and one each in Milton and Ellsworth townships.

There are no Utica Shale well permits for Trumbull County, the ODNR reported.